UNICEF chief: Taliban committed to let girls back to school

UNICEF's top chief says the Taliban have committed to allowing Afghan girls to go to school next month

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban are showing “commitment” to allowing Afghan girls to go to school across the country next month, addressing a key condition set by the international community, UNICEF’s newly appointed chief said on Friday.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said it remains to be seen whether the Taliban's commitment to reopening schools to girls and women on March 21 might hinge on more conditions or restrictions.

“The de-facto (Taliban) authorities have given us indications that that is their intention, and we are hopeful that is going to happen, and we believe it should happen,” Russell, who was appointed earlier this month, said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press in the capital of Kabul.

Despite the lack of a formal ban, girls grade seven and up have effectively been barred from going to school in most of the country since the Taliban's takeover of the country six months ago. Access to education is a key demand of the international community, and the Taliban have blamed delays on lack of adequate space, especially in cities, to accommodate segregated schooling.