[{"bbox": [145, 153, 258, 181], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Education"}, {"bbox": [145, 193, 1083, 283], "category": "Text", "text": "Significant progress has been made in Afghanistan's education sector over the last twenty years. Participation in education increased from less than 1 million in school in 2000 (around 10% girls) to 9.2 million students (38% girls) in 2018."}, {"bbox": [145, 294, 1083, 472], "category": "Text", "text": "The recent events put in serious danger these achievements, especially in the context of the previously existing substantial gender gap since the literacy rate for men stood at 55% and for women only at 29.8%. Despite the progress, 12 million youth and adults (15+) in Afghanistan still lack basic literacy skills. UNESCO estimated that in 2020 the literacy rate has increased to 43% in comparison to 2016/17 when it was 34.8% and the literacy rate for youths aged 15 to 24 stood at 65%."}, {"bbox": [145, 486, 1083, 667], "category": "Text", "text": "An estimated 4.2 million school-age children, nearly one third of the total in Afghanistan, are not in school, according to UNICEF. Over 2 million of them are girls. The education of almost 10 million Afghan children that previously were in school is at risk (mainly for girls). Displaced school-aged children face an uncertain future, as they remain at higher risk of missing education. Girls specifically face higher risk of being married early whereas boys face the risk of being recruited by armed groups."}, {"bbox": [145, 678, 1083, 799], "category": "Text", "text": "Cultural norms, safety concerns, poverty insufficient relevant learning/teaching resources, capacity limitations in formal schools to take on additional children and inadequate or damaged classrooms are still obstacles to achieve better results. In addition, the COVID-19 measures led to gaps in Afghan children learning due to prolonged school closures since March 2020."}, {"bbox": [145, 810, 1083, 900], "category": "Text", "text": "In September 2021 the *de facto* authorities/Taliban excluded girls from secondary schools in certain provinces and districts in Afghanistan, where only boys and male teachers were allowed back into classrooms, sending a worrying sign to the international community."}, {"bbox": [145, 912, 462, 940], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Livelihoods and food security"}, {"bbox": [145, 952, 1083, 1073], "category": "Text", "text": "The severe economic instability due to heightened uncertainty is halting national production and investment, has interrupted trade and finance, and is leading to an economic implosion. Due to the disruption of financial services, aid and subsidies, exports are collapsing, with severe impact in particular on rural livelihoods."}, {"bbox": [145, 1084, 1083, 1235], "category": "Text", "text": "In the past, donor aid has provided vital support to communities with agricultural production, livelihoods, small-scale infrastructure, and emergency relief, through a range of actions. Support to agriculture has been particularly important given the high reliance of poor, rural populations on agricultural production (around 40% of Afghans are employed in agriculture) and for food security."}, {"bbox": [145, 1246, 1083, 1397], "category": "Text", "text": "Since external aid accounted for three-quarters of the government's budget for 2021, the loss of aid flows will result in a drastic fiscal tightening, leading to reduced aggregate demand for labour. Employment will be severely hit, since external aid supporting basic health and education as well as the maintenance of critical infrastructure sustained hundreds of thousands livelihood opportunities."}, {"bbox": [145, 1408, 1083, 1559], "category": "Text", "text": "The collapse of services and the economy could lead to a much greater displacement, including outward movements. Afghanistan currently has 3.5 million internally displaced people, and it is estimated that as of August 2021, over half a million people have already been displaced by conflict and thousands more affected by disasters. Recent shocks are felt hardest in poor urban and rural communities, where the populations resort to negative coping mechanisms in the face"}, {"bbox": [1069, 1632, 1083, 1653], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "8"}]