Kabul: Over 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban for higher education in Oman are now being forced to return home after the abrupt termination of their USAID-funded scholarships.
The funding cut follows US President Donald Trump’s sweeping decision to freeze foreign aid, eliminating over 90% of USAID contracts.The students, many of whom were pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), now face an uncertain future. “It was heartbreaking. Everyone was shocked and crying,” one student told the BBC.
“We’ve been told we will be sent back within two weeks.”The Taliban, who regained power in Afghanistan nearly four years ago, have imposed severe restrictions on women, including banning them from universities. The students fear that returning to Afghanistan could result in forced marriages or even personal danger due to their past activism.
The scholarships, established in 2018 under the Women’s Scholarship Endowment (WSE), aimed to empower Afghan women through education. Many of the affected students had fled to Pakistan before securing visas to Oman with USAID’s assistance. Now, they say they have been abandoned.“We need immediate protection, financial assistance, and resettlement opportunities to a safe country where we can continue our education,” another student pleaded.
The aid freeze has sparked international concern, with humanitarian programs in fragile nations already feeling the impact. Afghanistan, described as experiencing “gender apartheid,” remains one of the hardest-hit.Despite legal challenges to Trump’s decision, the students in Oman now face the grim reality of returning to a country where their dreams of education have been shattered.
