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EU allocates $27 million to UNICEF for Afghanistan
The European Union has allocated $27 million to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to improve and upgrade the learning environments for an estimated 200,000 girls and boys in primary schools across Afghanistan.
According to a statement, the EU’s contribution will enable UNICEF to improve the quality of existing school infrastructure in up to 385 primary schools by restoring classrooms, providing gender sensitive sanitation facilities and boundary walls.
The project will furthermore support in-service training for teachers to improve the quality of teaching, particularly in early grades.
“The classroom should feel like a second home for children. When classrooms are child-friendly and safe, children are motivated to learn, and their attendance, performance and completion rates go up,” said Raffaella Iodice, the EU Chargée d’Affaires to Afghanistan.
This two-year project will build on UNICEF’s ongoing support for children’s education in Afghanistan’s public schools and community-based education centres.
“We are proud to partner with the EU to keep thousands of children in school. Continued investment in the public school system is critical to support girls and boys who are still able to attend school. Education remains a beacon of hope for a better future for girls and boys in Afghanistan,” said Fran Equiza, UNICEF Representative to Afghanistan.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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