OCHA: Taliban's Ban on Girls' Education Threatens a Generation in Afghanistan

In its January 2025 report, OCHA emphasized that approximately 1.5 million girls have been deprived of education since the Taliban banned education beyond the sixth grade in March 2022.

The report highlights that this ban has exposed girls to risks such as illiteracy, child labor, early marriage, and gender-based violence, further exacerbating the challenges faced by women in Afghanistan.

Currently, nearly 9 million children, including 888,000 children with disabilities, are in urgent need of education.

OCHA also referred to a verbal directive issued by the Taliban in January 2023, under which classrooms previously managed by international organizations were transferred to local institutions and provincial education offices. According to the organization, this decision has significantly reduced access to education, and by December 2024, only 1,315 out of 4,332 transferred classrooms remain active. As a result, nearly 52,000 children, mostly girls, have dropped out of school.

The report also emphasized that poverty remains a significant barrier to education. According to 2024 assessments, 11% of families reported that due to financial difficulties, education was no longer a priority.

Furthermore, in 2024, only 20% of 182,000 returnee children, mostly due to issues with documentation, financial problems, language barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of schools, educational spaces, and materials in their return areas, were able to access education. OCHA has also warned that the number of out-of-school children is likely to increase in 2025.

To address Afghanistan's urgent educational needs, OCHA stated that $93.3 million is required in 2025 to support 831,000 children. These funds will be used for educational materials, teacher training, temporary classrooms, and literacy programs in remote areas.