On International Girls in ICT Day, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) renewed its call for Taliban to lift restrictions on girls` education, warning that millions remain out of school nearly four and a half years after their return to power.

UNAMA said the continued ban has left an entire generation without access to formal education.

"Education, especially in information and communications technology, is key to jobs, innovation and a stable future for Afghanistan," the mission said, urging an immediate reversal of the policy.

Since 2021, Taliban authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school and university, a move widely condemned by international organizations and rights groups. The restrictions have affected over 2 million girls, according to UN agencies, with broader implications for the country`s economy and workforce.

The appeal coincided with International Girls in ICT Day, a global initiative aimed at encouraging girls` participation in technology fields, underscoring the widening gap between girls and their peers elsewhere.

Separately, the United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, warned of worsening conditions for Afghan women and girls returning to the country.

Women and girls who return - whether voluntarily or through deportation - are "among the most vulnerable," OCHA said, noting that many arrive with few resources and face restricted access to basic services, education, livelihoods and protection.

Humanitarian assistance remains critical, the agency said, as returnees struggle to meet urgent needs in a country already facing widespread poverty and limited public services.

The warnings come amid an increase in deportations of Afghan migrants from neighboring and European countries, raising concerns among aid groups about the country`s capacity to absorb returnees safely.

Taken together, UN agencies said, the continuation of education restrictions and growing humanitarian pressures risk deepening instability and undermining Afghanistan`s long-term development.