ISLAMABAD — UNICEF on Saturday renewed its call for the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to immediately lift their ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade, warning of lasting consequences for the country’s future.

The appeal comes as the new academic year begins in Afghanistan — without the return of an estimated 2.2 million girls to secondary school and higher education.

Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has barred girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, citing their interpretation of Sharia law.

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world with such a restriction in place.

“For over three years, the rights of girls in Afghanistan have been violated,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

“If these capable, bright young girls continue to be denied an education, then the repercussions will last for generations.”

According to UNICEF, an additional 400,000 girls were newly affected by the ban this year alone. If the prohibition continues through 2030, the agency estimates that more than 4 million girls will have been denied their right to education beyond primary level — a scenario Russell described as “catastrophic.”

Beyond education, the ban is also expected to take a serious toll on healthcare, as declines in the number of female doctors and midwives will leave Afghan women and girls without essential medical services. UNICEF projects an increase of 1,600 maternal deaths and over 3,500 infant deaths as a result.

“These are not just numbers — they represent lives lost and families shattered,” Russell said.

Earlier this year, the Taliban-led government refused to attend a Pakistan-hosted global conference, where Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan as gender apartheid. — Agencies