KABUL (SW) – Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, has stated that if the current situation and the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan continue, more than four million girls will be deprived of their right to continue their education.
In a press briefing on Monday night, based on a recent report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Dujarric said that currently, 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan are deprived of education.
“I hope that this situation will not persist,” he said.
Dujarric emphasized that with the start of the new academic year of 2025, an additional 400,000 girls have also been denied access to education.
“Today marks three years since the ban on secondary education for girls began. UNICEF has stated that if this ban continues until 2030, more than four million girls will be deprived of education beyond primary school,” he said.
Dujarric also stressed that Afghanistan cannot afford to leave half of its population behind.
This comes as over three and a half years have passed since girls above the sixth grade were barred from attending school.
During this period, the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate has consistently stated that schools will reopen for these girls once the appropriate conditions are met.
