More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman are facing deportation back to Afghanistan because of the Trump administration’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid programmes, according to the BBC.
Their scholarships, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), were abruptly terminated after Trump’s January election win.
Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, one student told the BBC: “It was heart-breaking. Everyone was shocked and crying. We’ve been told we will be sent back within two weeks.”
After regaining power in Afghanistan nearly four years ago, the Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on women, including banning them from universities.
US aid funding has been a lifeline for thousands of Afghan women, enabling them to study abroad or continue education online. The BBC reports that many of these programmes are now suspended.
[Image: https://www.pickpik.com/afghanistan-girl-burqa-ceremony-bee-keeping-women-121402]