EU Warns Millions of Afghan Children Are Still Denied Education
The European Union’s civil protection and humanitarian aid department says millions of children in Afghanistan remain deprived of education, a situation it says makes children’s futures more vulnerable and limits their access to better opportunities.
In a video posted on Sunday, Sept. 22, the body said that while millions of children around the world are returning to school this week, many children in Afghanistan still face serious barriers to attending classes.
The EU said around half of school-age children in Afghanistan currently do not have access to education. Among children out of school, it said, nearly one million have been unable to continue their studies because of the ban on girls’ education.
The body also added that, for some children, long distances to school, poor roads and adverse weather conditions are among the main reasons keeping them out of education. The EU said it provides financial assistance to establish classrooms in such areas so that girls and boys can gain fairer access to education.
The European Union is one of the major humanitarian donors to Afghanistan and in recent years has repeatedly voiced concern over the consequences of restrictions on education, especially for girls.
