A group of more than 80 Afghan women who had fled from the Taliban rule to study in Oman, say they are at risk of adjacent exile in Afghanistan, as their US funded scholarship was canceled for foreign aid for the cut of Trump administration.
According to the email received by NBC News, women students received an email on February 28, informing them that the scholarship program administered by the International Development for International Development for the US Agency for International Development for International Development was terminated with thousands of other foreign aid initiatives.
The state department did not immediately respond to the request of the comment. The plight of Afghan students was first reported by the BBC.
In a letter to assist the groups, Afghan women are appealing for immediate help to avoid continuing their studies abroad and returning to a country where they say, they will face some harassment and life-threatening risks.
“The situation is frightening,” says the letter. “Sending back to Afghanistan would mean the permanent loss of our education and the risk to serious risks, including harassment, insecurity and future without future opportunities. This is a life-or-death state for many of us. ,
Afghan students were pursuing bachelor’s and bachelor’s degrees in Oman under women’s scholarship settlement, one of the several programs in the attempt of Trump administration withdrew USAID.
State Secretary Marco Rubio said on Monday that 83% of USAID programs were canceled after six weeks review and the remaining programs would be merged with the state department.
The students’ letter wrote, “Please do not let our dreams disintegrate and the Taliban decide our fate.” “We have fought very hard to get out of their hands, if we have to go back to Afghanistan then we will not live anymore.”
The program for women scholars was launched in 2019 with a settlement of $ 50 million from USAID, according to Brian Le, a non -profit group, which is a non -profit group, which works with veterans from both sides of both sides on a bipartisan initiative. Interest from endowment has covered the cost of the program, which was administered by USAID, said Le, without the need for additional annual funds to the US government.
He said that non -profit groups are discussing with Oman’s government to try to solve the situation.
“What we are trying to escape is their return to Afghanistan, which will functionally for the death penalty for these women, which is aid in advancing higher education opportunities by the United States,” Le said.
While the letter of Afghan students states that 83 women were affected, Le said that it now appears that more than 120 Afghans had cut the financing of their scholarship.
Since the Taliban returned to power after the return of American -led forces from Afghanistan in 2021, they have resumed the Dracian sanctions on women, including restricting them from secondary school and higher education, preventing most employment and limiting their freedom of speech and movement, according to human rights groups.
Rape Seth Moulton, D-Mas.
“The Trump administration feels politically beneficial to make USAID a villain, but Americans need to realize that there are innocent lives behind canceled contracts and large -scale trimming.”
“In this case, what these bright young women can do for the death penalty in a few days along with the world ahead of them-Cowle because they were relying on an American-funded scholarship to get their education abroad.”
