Amnesty International says five years have passed since millions of girls in Afghanistan were deprived of secondary education, warning that the continued restrictions are affecting the future and aspirations of an entire generation.

The organization’s South Asia regional office said Thursday, September 17, on X that five years without access to education represent five years of injustice and lost opportunities for Afghan girls.

Despite the restrictions, Amnesty said girls across Afghanistan continue to seek ways to pursue their education, including through online learning, protests and, for some, migrating abroad to continue their studies.

Amnesty International has called on the international community to stand with Afghan women and girls and urge the Islamic Emirate to reopen girls’ secondary schools as soon as possible.

Five years on, millions of Afghan girls remain out of secondary school and unable to return to their classrooms.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has described girls’ education above the sixth grade as an internal matter and said efforts are underway to address the issue.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned an alleged drone attack on Mecca, calling any threat to the Two Holy Cities an “unforgivable crime.”

“Any action against the Two Holy Cities that threatens the security and sanctity of these sacred sites is an unforgivable crime,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the ministry, said.

He stressed that the Two Holy Cities are sacred and highly respected sites shared by the Muslim world, and that their security and sanctity must be protected from conflicts, violence and military actions.

Balkhi also warned that any threat to the holy sites could deeply anger Muslims and contribute to further instability in the region.

Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before ​it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, said ‌a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.

A Houthi military source denied the group posed any threat to Mecca or other holy sites, in comments ​carried by the ​Houthi-run SABA news ⁠agency on Tuesday.