Kabul [Afghanistan], February 20 (ANI): As part of efforts to ensure all school-age girls and boys in Afghanistan go to school and learn, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and partners are providing emergency cash support to all public education teachers for the months of January and February.

In a statement, the UNICEF said, the EU-funded payment-amounting to the equivalent of USD 100 a month in Afghani, per teacher, male and female, will benefit an estimated 1,94,000 public school teachers nationwide in recognition of their crucial role in the education of millions of children in Afghanistan. The teachers include all those from public Primary and Secondary schools TechnicalVocational Institutions and Teachers' Training Centres.

"Following months of uncertainty and hardship for many teachers, we are pleased to extend emergency support to public school teachers in Afghanistan who have spared no effort to keep children learning," said Dr Mohamed Ayoya, UNICEF Afghanistan Representative.

"UNICEF requires an additional USD 250 million to be able to continue supporting public school teachers and calls on donors to help us fund this critical initiative. This is an essential measure to enable continued access to education for girls and boys," Ayoya said.

Additional UNICEF efforts to strengthen the broader education system in Afghanistan include support to community-based education, distribution of teaching and learning materials and training of teachers, in particular female teachers, read the statement.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul in mid-August last year. (ANI)