UNICEF aiming to fund Afghan school teachers without giving money to Taliban: Report

The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) is aiming to set up a system to directly fund teachers in Afghanistan without letting that money reach Taliban.

UNICEF told news agency Reuters that the organisation is about to commence registering all public school teachers in Afghanistan, and make sure that the money they donate reaches teachers and young girls.

UNICEF Afghanistan’s chief of Education Jeannette Vogelaar said that the best way to support young girls in getting their education is to support their schools and teachers. "UNICEF is calling upon donors not to let Afghanistan’s children down," she was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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This announcement comes at a time when the country has been struggling to stabilise its economy under the rule of terrorist organisation, Taliban. The country has been plunged in economic crisis as the international organisations froze all assets of Afghanistan. The United States (US), World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also seized loans for the country.

Experts believe that the assets should not be handed over to Taliban as they fear the funds can be misused by the new government.

While Taliban claim they are supporting equal rights for women and girls, local reports from the country tell a different tale. Women have been reporting incidents of torture, oppression and unfair treatment in education sector and employment. Women have been complaining that they are not being allowed to return to work.

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In schools and universities, girls and women have been asked to attend segregated classes, leave five minutes prior to men to make sure the boys are not tempted, be taught only by female teachers, come to schools fully covered and more.

"We are working especially with UNICEF and some other international organisations…to come up with a good solution…we have meetings on a daily basis," Taliban's director of external programmes and aid at Afghanistan’s ministry of education, Waheedullah Hashimi told Reuters.