More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman with the help of USAID-funded scholarships now face imminent deportation back to Afghanistan.
These women, enrolled in the Women’s Scholarship Endowment program, were studying STEM subjects—fields banned by the Taliban for women, reports BBC.
However, the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid, enacted when he returned to office in January, abruptly ended their scholarships, the report adds.
USAID, the world’s largest aid donor with most of its budget directed toward global health programs and two-thirds of its 10,000 employees stationed overseas, had already placed some staff on administrative leave, with thousands more scheduled to join them.
Trump’s administration has been pushing to dismantle USAID, arguing that its overseas spending is not a valuable use of taxpayer money.
The Afghan students were informed that their scholarships had been discontinued and they would be sent back within two weeks.
Many of them fear the dire consequences they will face upon returning to Afghanistan, where women are barred from universities and subjected to severe restrictions.
Some worry they may be forced into marriage or face personal danger due to their activism and educational pursuits.
These women, who fled to Pakistan and then to Oman, have appealed to the international community for urgent intervention, seeking protection, financial aid, and resettlement in a safe country where they can continue their education, BBC further notes.
Once full of hope, their futures are now uncertain, with the looming threat of returning to a country where their basic rights are systematically denied.
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