The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the forced return of more than two million Afghans from neighboring countries in 2025 will significantly worsen Afghanistan’s already dire education crisis, particularly for girls who have been barred from schooling for the past four years.
In a report released on Wednesday, September 17, UNICEF stressed that Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary and higher education. Since the Taliban’s restrictions began in 2021, an entire generation of Afghan girls has been systematically deprived of their right to learn. The agency estimated that by the end of 2025, more than 2.2 million teenage girls will remain excluded from classrooms.
UNICEF also noted that the mass return of Afghan refugees—many of them children who had access to education in host countries—will put immense strain on the fragile education system. Thousands of returning girls, who previously attended schools in Pakistan and Iran, may now face permanent exclusion from learning opportunities upon reentering Afghanistan.
The agency further highlighted that the devastating earthquake earlier this year, which claimed the lives of more than a thousand children, underscored the urgent need for trained professionals in health, education, and social services. It emphasized that educated women are vital in providing community resilience and support during crises, yet their role is being systematically undermined by restrictive policies.
According to the report, the education ban not only denies girls the fundamental right to knowledge but also limits their personal development, prevents social interaction, and blocks pathways to future livelihoods. UNICEF linked the crisis to rising mental health problems, an increase in child marriages, and higher birth rates, warning that these harmful trends will escalate as long as girls remain locked out of schools.
The organization once again called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to immediately lift the ban and allow all girls—across primary, secondary, and higher education—to return to classrooms. UNICEF stressed that failure to act will deepen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, hinder recovery from natural disasters, and leave an entire generation of Afghan girls without hope or opportunity.
The appeal reflects mounting global alarm over the social and economic costs of prolonged restrictions. As UNICEF warned, without urgent change, millions of Afghan girls risk being permanently left behind, with devastating consequences for the country’s future.
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