UNICEF on Saturday urged the interim Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan to lift the ban on girls' secondary education as the new school year begins without girls for a third consecutive year.
As new school year starts in Afghanistan, almost 400,000 more girls deprived of their right to education, bringing total to 2.2 million, according to the United Nations agency for children.
The agency stated that the consequences for these girls - and for Afghanistan - are catastrophic.
"This decision continues to harm the future of millions of Afghan girls. If this ban persists until 2030, over four million girls will have been deprived of their right to education beyond primary school," - UNICEF stated, highlighting the increased risk of child marriage and its negative repercussions on their well-being and health.
In addition, the country will experience a shortage of qualified female health workers. This will endanger lives.
"With fewer female doctors and midwives, girls and women will not receive the medical treatment and support they need. We are estimating an additional 1,600 maternal deaths and over 3,500 infant deaths. These are not just numbers, they represent lives lost and families shattered," - the agency added.
UNICEF has urge the de facto authorities to lift this ban immediately.
"Education is not just a fundamental right; it is the pathway to a healthier, more stable, and prosperous society,” it added.
Despite the ban, UNICEF was able to provide access to education for 445,000 children through community-based learning—64 per cent of whom are girls.
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Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation remained severe throughout 2025, with millions still struggling to meet basic needs, according to a new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
At least nine children and a woman were killed after Pakistani forces bombed the home of a local resident in Afghanistan's Khost province, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday (25 November).
Pakistan’s military has dismissed claims that it holds an agreement with the United States permitting attacks on Afghanistan from its territory.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged continued cooperation after talks in Kabul on aid coordination, bilateral ties and job creation.
Uzbekistan is advancing plans to reduce the state’s role in the economy while introducing a VAT refund system for foreign visitors, as part of broader efforts to attract investment and boost tourism.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of Kazakhstan, said on Friday (10 April) that a parliamentary election in the Central Asian country would take place in August but stopped short of naming an exact date.
Lebanon is sliding deeper into a food security crisis as ongoing regional conflict disrupts supply routes and drives up the cost of basic goods, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
Thousands of Palestinians returned to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem after Israel lifted a 40-day ban that had left one of Islam’s holiest sites largely closed.
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