Hamid Karzai, the former President of Afghanistan, has expressed concern regarding a recent UNICEF report about the rise of severe malnutrition among children in the country.
Mr. Karzai posted a message on his X account stating that ensuring universal education for girls and boys is a fundamental condition for reducing this crisis and improving the situation in Afghanistan.
Recently, UNICEF warned that severe wasting among children has spread across 26 provinces of Afghanistan, putting 3.7 million children under the age of five at risk of acute malnutrition.
Hamid Karzai called for serious attention from responsible institutions and international organizations to prevent the spread of malnutrition and ensure the health of children in Afghanistan.
In his note, he emphasized that the essential condition for addressing this crisis is to provide universal education for all children and youth, including girls.
Mr. Karzai wrote: “With the growth of public awareness and the training of specialized human resources, problems arising from illiteracy and lack of education can be mitigated, the economic situation of the country can improve, and the issues and needs of society can be resolved without the need for foreign assistance.”
This comes at a time when the interim government, after regaining power in August 2021, has banned education for girls above sixth grade, prohibited women’s studies at universities, and restricted or banned their employment in many government and non-government organizations.
During this period, Hamid Karzai has repeatedly called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and the lifting of educational and employment restrictions on women, deeming universal education essential for the future of Afghanistan.
