“Education must be protected through periods of conflict. Young boys and girls should not be terrified to go to school, and parents should feel assured that their children are safe,” said William Carter, the Norwegian Refugee Council's Head of Programmes in Afghanistan.
More than a hundred Afghan civilians – including many boys and girls – were killed or injured in Monday's attack in Kunduz Province, according to local reports.
“We were sitting outdoors and [they] bombed us. Lots of children were killed. There was dust and blood,” an 11-year old boy who was wounded in the attack told NRC staff in the area.
The Afghan national defence forces claim that the building was also being used for military and political purposes.
“There must be a transparent investigation of this callous attack. All armed actors must take concrete measures to ensure no further attacks on school buildings occur, and no side in the conflict should use education facilities for military purposes,” said Carter.
The Norwegian Refugee Council is working across Afghanistan to provide education for people affected by the conflict, including in Kunduz Province.
“A once-shattered educational system is being rebuilt in Afghanistan. But this progress is being reversed in parts of the country through spiraling levels of conflict and forced displacement, and through attacks on education facilities,” said Carter.
The Government of Afghanistan was one of the very first signatories to the 2015 Oslo Safe Schools Declaration, which commits to protecting students, teachers, and educational establishments from attacks during times of armed conflict.
