A group of more than 80 Afghan women studying in Oman under a U.S.-funded scholarship are facing deportation back to Afghanistan after the program was terminated as part of the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid. The female students received an email informing them of the cancellation, stating that thousands of other foreign aid initiatives were also being terminated. The Afghan women fear persecution and life-threatening risks if forced to return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The program, called the Women’s Scholarship Endowment, was launched in 2019 with a $50 million endowment from USAID and covered the cost without additional funding from the U.S. government. The students are appealing for urgent help to continue their studies abroad and not be sent back to Afghanistan. Various nonprofit groups are working with the government of Oman to resolve the situation and prevent the deportation of the Afghan students. Human rights groups have reported that the Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women’s education and employment since taking power in 2021. Lawmakers, including Rep. Seth Moulton, have criticized the cancellation of the scholarship program as putting innocent lives at risk and have called on the administration to reconsider the decision.
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