UNICEF: Millions of Afghan children out of school amid mounting crises

UNICEF: Millions of Afghan children out of school amid mounting crises

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that nearly 4 million children in Afghanistan are deprived of their right to education, pointing to a deepening educational crisis that goes beyond the Taliban’s ban on girls’ schooling beyond sixth grade.

While Amnesty International previously reported that 3.5 million Afghan girls have been affected by the ban, UNICEF emphasized that many other children—both boys and girls—face various structural and economic barriers to education.

These include a lack of school buildings, insufficient clean water and sanitation facilities, and a severe shortage of qualified teachers, particularly women. The report noted that worsening economic conditions are also forcing many children to drop out of school to support their families, further deepening the crisis.

In response, UNICEF is training teachers in several provinces to improve education quality and build teacher capacity, focusing on lesson planning, reading, and basic math. Special attention is given to training women, as increasing the number of female teachers is considered vital to boosting girls’ school enrollment, given prevailing cultural preferences for female educators.

The warning comes amid growing fears for the future of an entire generation of Afghan children, as the country continues to grapple with political, economic, and security challenges since the Taliban’s return to power in mid-2021.