UNAMA expresses its deep disappointment that for the fourth consecutive year, Afghanistan’s de facto authorities have again denied access to secondary education for girls, a step that will only compound Afghanistan’s human rights, humanitarian, and economic crises.

“The new school year has started in Afghanistan, but yet again with a glaring and damaging absence of girls from the classrooms. This is not only harming their future prospects, but the peace and prosperity of all Afghans,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

According to Unicef, the denial of female access to education as so far impacted 2.2 million Afghan girls, including 400,000 this year. If the ban remains in place until 2030, over four million girls will have been impacted.

“I am deeply disappointed that the de facto authorities continue to ignore the demands of communities across Afghanistan, who have endured decades of war and continue to face a terrible humanitarian crisis. This ban reduces Afghanistan’s prospects of recovery, and must be reversed,” said Otunbayeva.

“This ban is also one of the main reasons Afghanistan continues to be isolated from the international community, which is also holding back recovery. Still, I urge international donors to continue to support the Afghan people, including in the education sector where possible,” Otunbayeva said.