Guterres urges attention to education for children in crisis

KABUL (TOLOnews): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the dreams of 222 million girls & boys are being crushed by conflicts, displacement & climate chaos.

Two-thirds of those whose education is suffering within protracted crises come from just 10 countries, said Guterres. They are Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.

“Today 222 million girls and boys are affected by the horrors of war, disaster and displacement, and over 78 million children don’t go to school at all. 78 million,” said the UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The United Nations held a two-day conference called Education Cannot Wait (ECW) in Geneva on February 16–17, 2023.

Somaya Faruqi, who attended this conference on behalf of Afghan girls, asked all world leaders to aid Afghanistan and not forget Afghan girls.

“Me, Somaya Faruqi, and millions of Afghan girls have a dream of becoming an engineer, a doctor or a teacher. Exactly 514 days ago my heart was shattered along with the hearts of millions of girls inside Afghanistan,” Faruqi said. Meanwhile, female students asked the Islamic Emirate to finalize its decision about reopening schools and universities for girls as soon as possible.

“We ask the Islamic Emirate to open schools and universities and not to play with the future of Afghan women, and let us have a progressive Afghanistan,” said Halima, a student.

“I hope that the current government reviews its decision so that half of the society will get an education,” said Suraya Paykan, a women’s rights activist.

However, the Islamic Emirate said that it is not against education but wants to address all the issues in accordance with Islamic principles.

“It is obvious that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not against education; rather, it wants that all issues be resolved in accordance with Islamic and national values.

Some of the media’s claims are untrue,” said Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar.

It has been over 500 days since girls above the sixth grade were banned from going to school.

The prohibition of female education and employment in non-governmental organizations in only temporary, said Islamic Emirate officials.