On World Education Day, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) once again called on the Taliban to end the "tragedy" of banning education for millions of Afghan girls.

UNAMA said that Afghan girls have been deprived of their basic right to education since the past 1,225 days.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, has called the Taliban's ban on girls' education a tragedy for millions of Afghan girls.

She stressed that no country has made progress by leaving half of its population behind and that the Taliban should allow girls to return to school.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Friday (January 24) said in a statement that the organisation is celebrating World Education Day with "deep regret and concern" for the millions of Afghan girls deprived of education.

"It is a blatant injustice and a tragedy that millions of Afghan girls have been deprived of their right to education. No country can ever prosper by disabling and abandoning half of its population."

According to the UNAMA statement, 1,225 days have passed since the Taliban closed girls' schools above the sixth grade to Afghan girls.

The ban on girls' education in schools above the sixth grade and university has been widely condemned domestically and internationally.

After banning girls' education, the Taliban has repeatedly said for more than three years that the move is "temporary" and has ignored calls for the reopening of schools.