OCHA Report: Taliban Restrictions Deepen Afghanistan’s Education and Humanitarian Crises

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released a new report highlighting the deepening education crisis, humanitarian access challenges, and the delivery of cash assistance in vulnerable areas of Afghanistan. Titled the Humanitarian Update – January 2025, the report provides a detailed account of the growing challenges faced by Afghan girls and at-risk families.

According to the report, 1.5 million girls have been barred from schooling beyond grade six due to Taliban-imposed restrictions, and approximately 52,000 children—most of them girls—have dropped out of school as a result. The report also identifies poverty and the situation of returnees from Iran and Pakistan as key obstacles to accessing education. Additionally, it highlights major humanitarian access issues in 2024, including Taliban interference and restrictions placed on female staff.

OCHA documented 1,659 incidents affecting humanitarian operations in 2024, of which 1,260 were attributed to the Taliban and Taliban-controlled areas. The report states that the Taliban’s law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has also impacted men, with reports of male employees being stopped at checkpoints for beard inspections. Furthermore, the Taliban issued 135 directives involving interference in hiring and procurement, suspension of education initiatives, a ban on women studying medical fields, and tighter restrictions on the participation of female staff in NGOs.

Education Crisis

The report emphasizes that Afghanistan’s education crisis is a long-standing issue rooted in the Taliban’s harsh policies as well as structural problems such as poverty and underdevelopment. It notes that as of now, approximately 1.5 million girls are out of school due to the ban imposed by the Taliban’s ban in March 2022 on girls’ education beyond grade six.

The ban has placed girls at increased risk of illiteracy, child labor, underage marriage, gender-based violence, and other harmful coping mechanisms. According to the report, in December 2024, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health announced a ban on women working in public and private medical institutions—effectively eliminating the last remaining opportunity for women’s education after the December 2022 ban on higher education.

Approximately nine million children, including 888,000 children with disabilities, are expected to require emergency educational support in 2025.

A verbal directive issued by the Taliban in June 2023 to transfer Community-Based Education (CBE) classes from international NGOs to local NGOs and eventually to Taliban provincial education departments has significantly restricted access to education. By December 2024, only 1,315 of the 4,332 transferred CBE classes remained active. As a result, nearly 52,000 children, mostly girls, have dropped out of school.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Education’s emphasis on investment in public schools has raised concerns about the future of community-based education programs, which serve as a critical lifeline for children in remote and marginalized areas. The report states that the ministry is currently reviewing the CBE model and is expected to propose a new strategy to address the needs of out-of-school children.

Poverty and Deprioritization of Education

OCHA reports that poverty remains one of the most significant barriers to education in Afghanistan. A national assessment conducted in 2024 found that around 11% of families deprioritized education due to financial difficulties.

Children returning to Afghanistan—especially those from Iran and Pakistan—face major challenges in accessing education. In 2024, only about 20% of the nearly 182,000 school-aged returnee children were able to access schooling. Barriers included lack of documentation, financial hardship, language differences, cultural discrepancies, and a shortage of schools, learning spaces, and materials in return areas.

The report warns that with an estimated 1.6 million returnees expected in 2025—based on projections by the International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees—the number of out-of-school children will likely rise.

According to OCHA, USD 93.3 million is required in 2025 to address immediate educational needs and support 831,000 children. The funding would go toward providing learning materials, training teachers and local councils, establishing temporary learning spaces, and maintaining CBE classes that cannot be integrated into the formal education system.

The estimated cost per beneficiary in 2025 is about USD 112, reflecting a slight increase due to additional expenses such as hiring female chaperones and supervisors in light of the Taliban’s Virtue and Vice law. By January 2025, only $7.9 million of the required budget had been secured. OCHA warned that without urgent funding, millions of children will be deprived of basic education, and the learning crisis in Afghanistan will intensify.

The report calls on the international community, donors, and humanitarian partners to step up efforts to close the funding gap and ensure that every child in Afghanistan has access to learning and development opportunities.

While the rest of the world observed International Day of Education on January 24, 2025, under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Education: Protecting Human Agency in an Automated World,” Afghanistan’s priority remains ensuring inclusive access to education. The report stresses the urgent need for increased funding, political intervention, and global support to safeguard education in Afghanistan. Without immediate action, a whole generation of children faces the risk of falling behind—an outcome that would have devastating consequences for the country’s future.

Humanitarian Access

OCHA states that humanitarian operations in Afghanistan continued to face serious obstacles in 2024, with 1,659 incidents reported—a slight decrease from the 1,777 incidents reported in 2023. Humanitarian organizations encountered numerous access-related challenges from January to December 2024.

Of the 1,659 incidents, 1,260 were recorded in Taliban-controlled or Taliban-influenced areas and involved interference in activities such as recruitment, procurement, and beneficiary selection. The Taliban also demanded sensitive information about staff, including personal details, project budgets, and employment statuses. According to the report, humanitarian partners resisted these interventions in line with the Humanitarian Access Working Group’s guidance note.

A major access barrier in 2024 remained the ongoing restrictions on female staff, with 241 gender-related incidents reported, accounting for 14% of all access challenges. Women came under increased scrutiny following the implementation of the Taliban’s Virtue and Vice law, particularly concerning dress codes and the presence of male chaperones (mahram). Female staff reported intensified enforcement of these rules during their commutes.

In some cases, women were barred from their workplaces, significantly hindering aid delivery. Male staff were also stopped at checkpoints for beard inspections, and there were reports of the Taliban conducting surprise inspections of NGO offices and project sites.

Despite these challenges, OCHA and its humanitarian partners negotiated localized and case-by-case exemptions, adhering to religious and cultural norms such as ensuring women had appropriate dress, mahrams, and gender-segregated transport. These arrangements enabled female humanitarian workers to participate across all areas of aid delivery and ensured culturally appropriate assistance reached those most in need.

Nonetheless, the report notes that access-related constraints in 2024 led to the temporary suspension of 838 humanitarian activities, affecting national and international NGOs, UN agencies, and other humanitarian actors.

The report further reveals that the Taliban issued 135 directives in 2024 impacting humanitarian operations. These included enforcing dress codes under the Virtue and Vice law, interfering in recruitment and procurement, suspending community-based education, banning women and girls from studying medicine, and tightening restrictions on female NGO staff participation.

OCHA also documented 103 security incidents affecting humanitarian personnel: 61 arrests involving 144 aid workers, 12 cases of physical violence, and 21 threats against staff, assets, and facilities. Travel restrictions—especially for women—resulted in arrests and delays at checkpoints, while male staff faced mandatory beard regulations and dress code enforcement.

Cash Assistance by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund

OCHA states that cash assistance programs supported by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund have brought hope to vulnerable communities. In the face of ongoing humanitarian crises, ensuring that at-risk families have the resources needed for survival and recovery remains a top priority.

The Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) program has served as a critical lifeline for individuals and families facing dire circumstances, offering immediate financial relief to meet essential needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.

According to the report, ActionAid, supported by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, launched an MPCA project in Kabul’s Deh Sabz and Bagrami districts to assist 1,000 vulnerable families. The initiative is expected to benefit over 7,000 individuals, including 1,050 internally displaced persons, 700 returnees, 5,250 host community members, and 1,050 persons with disabilities.

The amount of cash assistance has been set at USD 156 per household per month for three months and is distributed in three phases under the Cash and Voucher Working Group’s guidelines.

You can read the Persian version of this report here:

گزارش اوچا: محدودیت‌های طالبان بحران‌های آموزش و بشردوستانه را تشدید کرده است | روزنامه ۸صبح 

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