UNICEF calls for the reopening of schools to girls in Afghanistan

UNICEF has renewed its urgent call for Afghanistan to reopen schools for girls, warning that ongoing education bans are inflicting lasting harm on their future, dignity, and mental well-being.

In a statement released Thursday, Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s regional director for South Asia, said the time has come for girls’ schools across the country to reopen. Writing on X, he noted that Afghan girls have waited far too long and that the return of classrooms should bring hope to every community.

“It is time for school doors to reopen,” Wijesekera wrote on March 26. “Because hope, dignity and the future begin with education.”

UNICEF has long emphasized that education is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of children’s development, as well as a prerequisite for Afghanistan’s long-term stability and recovery. International organizations have similarly warned that the prolonged exclusion of girls from learning environments threatens their health, safety, and future economic opportunities.

The appeal comes as Afghanistan endures one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with millions reliant on aid, deepening poverty, and pervasive uncertainty over the country’s trajectory. Since the Taliban returned to power, girls have been barred from secondary schools and universities—effectively cutting off an entire generation of young women from formal education.

The restrictions extend beyond classrooms. Women continue to face sweeping limits on employment in public institutions, NGOs, and other sectors, compounding household hardship and eroding family incomes. Aid groups warn that the combined impact of school closures, university bans, and job restrictions has not only set back women’s rights but also severely weakened Afghanistan’s social fabric and economic recovery.

UNICEF’s renewed call adds to mounting international pressure on the Taliban. Yet for millions of Afghan girls, the wait for education and opportunity continueswith no clear end in sight.

Our Pashto-Dari Website

  Donate Here