The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that millions of children in Afghanistan continue to face severe barriers to education, saying sustained investment is urgently needed to prevent an entire generation from being left behind.
Marking International Literacy Day, OCHA said literacy opens “doors to knowledge, opportunity and a safer future,” but many Afghan children remain unable to access quality education because of conflict, poverty, displacement and restrictions on schooling.
The UN agency stressed that keeping classrooms open and expanding learning opportunities is essential for Afghanistan’s long-term recovery.
Sustained investment in education is essential so these doors remain open and every child has the opportunity to grow, OCHA said in its statement.
The warning comes as Afghanistan remains one of the world’s worst education emergencies. According to UN agencies, millions of Afghan children require humanitarian education support, while widespread poverty has forced many families to keep children out of school or send them to work instead.
Girls have been disproportionately affected since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Secondary schools remain closed to girls in most parts of the country, and women have also been barred from attending universities, making Afghanistan the only country in the world with a nationwide ban on girls’ education beyond the primary level.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the restrictions on girls’ education are undermining Afghanistan’s economic future, increasing child marriage, deepening poverty and reducing opportunities for women and girls.
OCHA said education is not only a basic human right but also a lifeline during humanitarian crises, helping protect children from exploitation, child labor and early marriage while providing stability for displaced communities.
The UN has consistently called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on girls’ education and ensure equal access to schools and universities for all Afghanistan children.
