---
title: "Latest Afghan school attack must be investigated"
description: "The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls for an investigation of a deadly attack against a place for informal education in Kunduz Province, which took place on Monday."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/news/2018/april/latest-afghan-school-attack-must-be-investigated"
language: "en"
published: "2018-04-03T11:27:07Z"
modified: "2018-04-03T11:27:07Z"
---

Education should be protected against attacks. This photo is from an NRC accelerated learning class in Kunduz. Photo: NRC/Jim Huylebroek

# Latest Afghan school attack must be investigated

Published 03. Apr 2018

[Afghanistan](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=29) [Children](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=140) [Education](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=145) [Security](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=163) [Youth](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=169)

This article was first published more than 8 years ago

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls for an investigation of a deadly attack against a place for informal education in Kunduz Province, which took place on Monday.

“Education must be protected through periods of conflict. Young boys and girls should not be terrified to go to school, and parents should feel assured that their children are safe,” said William Carter, the Norwegian Refugee Council's Head of Programmes in Afghanistan.

More than a hundred Afghan civilians – including many boys and girls – were killed or injured in Monday's attack in Kunduz Province, according to local reports.

“We were sitting outdoors and [they] bombed us. Lots of children were killed. There was dust and blood,” an 11-year old boy who was wounded in the attack told NRC staff in the area.

The Afghan national defence forces claim that the building was also being used for military and political purposes.

“There must be a transparent investigation of this callous attack. All armed actors must take concrete measures to ensure no further attacks on school buildings occur, and no side in the conflict should use education facilities for military purposes,” said Carter.

The Norwegian Refugee Council is working across Afghanistan to provide education for people affected by the conflict, including in Kunduz Province.

“A once-shattered educational system is being rebuilt in Afghanistan. But this progress is being reversed in parts of the country through spiraling levels of conflict and forced displacement, and through attacks on education facilities,” said Carter.

The Government of Afghanistan was one of the very first signatories to the 2015 Oslo Safe Schools Declaration, which commits to protecting students, teachers, and educational establishments from attacks during times of armed conflict.

**Background Information:**

- The Government of Afghanistan endorsed the *Oslo Safe Schools Declaration* in a meeting hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 May 2015, along with 36 other States. To date, 73 States are signatories to the Declaration. The second international conference on Safe Schools was recently held in Buenos Aires.
- The educational system in Kunduz province is already severely strained. Recently, disputes over salary payments for teachers in more insecure areas have led to almost half of the 500 public schools in the province currently being closed. The new school year started last week.
- Kunduz Province has been one of the main destinations for Afghan families voluntarily or involuntarily returning from Pakistan. Over the past three years, the provincial capital has twice been seized by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Military operations, including aerial campaigns and land maneuvers, have been increasing.
- NRC is one of the leading *Education in Emergency* providers for Kunduz Province. Supported primarily by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), NRC directly assists over 760 boys and 1,000 girls, through 58 temporary learning spaces or community-based classes.

* NRC directly assisted over 382,000 displaced people in 2017 in Afghanistan, including with legal assistance, shelter and emergency education.

**Further Information:**

If you would like interviews or more information, please contact:

- NRC Head of Programmes in Afghanistan, William Carter: [william.carter@nrc.no](mailto:william.carter@nrc.no) Cell: +93 795 271 621
- NRC Media Adviser (Head Office [Oslo]), Tiril Skarstein [tiril.skarstein@nrc.no](mailto:tiril.skarstein@nrc.no) Cell: +47 90 569 287