Schools in Nangarhar face constant IS threat

Related Articles

Retirees in Kabul Rally Again, Demand Overdue Pensions from Interim Government

April 18, 2024

Indian FM Meets UNAMA Head Otunbayeva to Discuss Afghanistan Situation

April 18, 2024

The UK postpones Rwanda bill to protect Afghan interpreters from deportation

April 18, 2024

AT-KABUL: Ministry of Education expressed concerns over what it called Daesh threats against schools in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Schools in some districts are reportedly closed at the fear of Daesh attack, which the ministry says that attack on schools could not be religiously justified.

The terrorist group has recently threatened to target schools in Nangarhar, warning families not to send their children to schools.

“We frequently messaged to the armed groups through the media that they should not put schools in danger, because education does not relate to politics and war at any mean. Schools should be free of political games and war based on the international laws,” said MojibMehrdad, spokesman for the ministry.

He called on the Daesh terrorist group to not threaten schools.

The ministry of education says that 500 schools are closed across the country, while some lawmakers claim that more than 2,000 schools are closed.

Also, the ministry said in a recent survey that 3.7 million children including 2.2 million girls are deprived from going to schools in the country.

The survey prepared with the help of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international organizations, said that internally displacement and the under-age marriages put impact on children’s education.

It added that 85 per cent of girls in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Wardak, Zabul, Uruzgan and Paktika cannot go to school due to gender discrimination.

The threat has barred thousands of children from going to schools in the province.

But, security officials say that operations were going on in Nangarhar province against Daesh terrorists, assuring people that the threats would not turn into practice.

“The Nosrat operations are currently underway in the district of Batikot and the enemy’s threats are just propaganda,” said Mohammad Radmanesh, defense ministry spokesman.