More than 80 Afghan women studying in Oman under US Agency for International Development (USAID) scholarships are now facing deportation to Afghanistan following a major freeze on foreign aid programs by former President Donald Trump.
Key Points:
US aid freeze disrupts scholarships for Afghan women
Students fear return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
International community calls for urgent intervention
Scholarship Program at Risk Amid Aid Freeze
These Afghan women were recipients of a USAID-funded scholarship program designed to support higher education in STEM fields for women denied access to education in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
However, after Trump’s foreign aid budget cuts, over 90% of US-funded international programs were abruptly terminated—severely impacting students who had escaped the Taliban’s repressive policies.
One student described the moment they learned their funding had been pulled:
“It was heartbreaking. Everyone was shocked and crying. We were told we would be sent back within two weeks.”
From Opportunity to Crisis: Afghan Women Facing Deportation
The students, who had left Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s education bans, are now at risk of being forced to return. In December 2022, the Taliban officially banned higher education for women, making it illegal for them to attend universities.
Potential Risks for Returning Students:
- Forced marriages upon return
- Harsh punishment for activism
- Loss of all education and career prospects
Many of these women fear their lives will be in imminent danger if they are sent back to Afghanistan under the Taliban’s strict gender policies.
International Calls for Urgent Action
The international community has strongly condemned the aid freeze, with legal challenges mounting in the US. Several human rights groups have urged the Biden administration and global organizations to step in and provide urgent protection for the students.
One Afghan student pleaded:
“We need immediate safety, financial assistance, and resettlement in a safe country so we can continue our education.”
Women’s Rights Under the Taliban: No Education, No Freedom
The Taliban continues to enforce extreme restrictions on women, including bans on:
University education
Employment in many sectors
Travel without a male guardian
Despite global protests, the Taliban refuses to change its policies, defending them as aligned with Islamic law.
What Happens Next?
With global pressure mounting, organizations are calling on:
The UN and humanitarian groups to intervene
The US government to reconsider funding cuts
Safe countries to offer asylum to these Afghan women
