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UNICEF director visits girls school; says ‘education must be above politics’
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern about the continued closure of secondary and high schools for girls in Afghanistan, saying “education should not be held hostage to politics.”
On Saturday, Paloma Escudero, UNICEF’s Director of Global Support and Communications, visited a girls primary school in Kabul and said it has been more than a month since girls over the sixth grade in Afghanistan have been denied the right to education.
Escudero said that female students need help more than ever and called on the international community, especially donors, not to stop helping girls in this country.
According to her, the United Nations continues to assist in continuing the education of Afghan girls and emphasizes that education for girls is one of the priorities of the United Nations Children’s Fund in Afghanistan.
Escudero said the organization pays the salaries of about 200,000 teachers a month in Afghanistan and provides 35 million textbooks for Afghan girls.
“This is the time when girls need us the most. They go to school every day. They want to learn. They told me they wanted to be a doctor, an engineer and a teacher.”
Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that continuing to close girls’ schools would harm the whole of Afghanistan.
The US State Department has also said that political and economic progress cannot be made if half the population of a country is deprived of education.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a 30-year agreement with a private company to extract marble in Daikundi province.
Under the contract, the company will invest AFN 283 million in exploring and mining marble at the “Mesh-Uliya” site, spanning 16.74 square kilometers in central Daikundi.
Hedayatullah Badri, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, stated that the marble will be processed domestically before being exported abroad. He added that the Mesh-Uliya project is expected to create around 200 jobs, and the company is committed to supporting local communities through social initiatives.
Economic experts highlight that such investments, especially those focusing on domestic processing, are crucial for job creation, boosting exports, and strengthening the national economy. Analysts further note that the project will improve local infrastructure, expand social services, and enhance the economic and social well-being of Daikundi residents.
Since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, efforts to develop Afghanistan’s mining sector have intensified, with multiple contracts signed in areas including cement, copper, iron, and lapis lazuli, involving both domestic and international companies.
A passenger bus veered off the Salang Highway before dawn on Sunday, leaving five people dead and 44 others injured, the Ministry of Public Works said.
According to the ministry, the incident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. in the Shawol area of North Salang when a passenger bus deviated from the main road due to the driver’s negligence.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said five passengers were killed and 44 others sustained injuries. He added that personnel from the Salang Maintenance and Protection Directorate promptly arrived at the scene and transferred the injured to the Khunjān clinic for medical treatment.
The Ministry of Public Works has urged drivers and passengers traveling on the Salang Highway to strictly follow the instructions of on-duty teams, observe traffic regulations, and carry warm clothing, food supplies, and snow chains to prevent similar incidents.
The ministry also noted that heavy snowfall and stormy weather have led to the temporary closure of the highway, while road maintenance teams are continuing snow-clearing operations.
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Major fire in Mandawi Kabul market contained, extensive losses prevented
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
The Ministry of Interior reported that personnel from the General Directorate of Firefighting and Emergency Response successfully prevented the further spread of a fire at Mandawi market on Kabul early Sunday morning.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the ministry, said that the fire destroyed 10 storage facilities and 8 shops. He added that initial losses are estimated at around $700,000, but timely action by firefighting personnel saved property worth approximately $2.2 million.
Qani explained that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. He praised the rapid and effective containment operations, which prevented more extensive damage.
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
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