Afghanistan stands out as the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden for girls and women. According to UNESCO data published in 2024, 1.4 million Afghan girls have been deliberately deprived of schooling. Access to primary education has also fallen sharply, with 1.1 million fewer girls and boys attending school. One in three Afghan girls is unable to complete their primary education due to widespread poverty, according to a report released by the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2024. Without immediate funding, millions of people will go without the food they need, says the WFP. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that women in Afghanistan are currently being denied their basic fundamental rights. He said he is deeply concerned for the long-term future of a country that is self-harming on a national scale. The call came ahead of the International School Meals Day on March 13 and urged that no child should go to school hungry. It is also where they get the only nutritious food they eat all day.