UNICEF concern over report of aid group ban from Afghan education

FILE PHOTO: A UNICEF logo is pictured outside their offices in Geneva, Switzerland, January 30, 2017. Picture taken January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/

(Reuters) - The U.N. children's agency said on Thursday it was following up with Afghanistan's Taliban authorities over whether international organisations would be excluded from education projects, which could affect hundreds of thousands of students.

"UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports that over 500,000 children, including over 300,000 girls, could lose out on quality learning through community based education within a month if international non-governmental organizations working in the field of education are no longer allowed to operate," said UNICEF's Afghanistan spokesperson, Samantha Mort.