Capacity building: UNHCR, UNICEF join hands to educate children of Afghan refugees

Study on enhanced access to education inaugurated at a ceremony.

ISLAMABAD:

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) on Wednesday joined hands to explore opportunities to improve education services for children of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.     

A landmark study on enhanced access to educate children of Afghan refugees was inaugurated at a ceremony, said a press release on Wednesday.

The initiative explored the present situation regarding the education for Afghan children in Pakistan. It also designed a strategy to enhance the education services available to them.

“The Unicef is proud to partner with the UNHCR in this landmark study,” said Simone Klawitter, acting country representative for the Unicef Pakistan.

Klawitter said that the organisation believed that schools were safe spaces for children.

“After the passage of Article 25-A by the parliament, it was imperative that Afghan refugee children be given an equal opportunity to flourish alongside their Pakistani peers.”

According to UNHCR statistics, literacy amongst Afghan refugees was as low as 33 per cent. Female literacy amongst this population was just eight per cent.

The study cited a lack of girls’ schools, lack of female teachers and socio-cultural barriers as reasons for limited female literacy.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2013.