More than 2.6 million girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, a senior United Nations official has said.
Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, made the remarks on Friday, 6 November.
He also said that the number of female university students in Afghanistan had fallen to zero.
Lemarquis said the large-scale return of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries had placed additional pressure on public services and the country’s economy. According to him, about 6.7 million Afghans have returned to the country since 2020.
He also warned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs were likely to increase in 2027, while funding available to address them was declining.
Lemarquis called on the international community not to forget Afghanistan and urged continued support to address humanitarian needs and create livelihood opportunities for the country’s population.
