More than 80 Afghan women who fled Taliban rule to pursue higher education in Oman now face imminent deportation to Afghanistan after their US-funded scholarships were abruptly terminated due to a sweeping foreign aid freeze under the Trump administration, Azernews reports, citing Tribune.

The women, who had been studying under the Women's Scholarship Endowment (WSE) program funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), were informed last week that their scholarships had been discontinued. The decision follows a funding freeze ordered by President Donald Trump after returning to office in January, as part of broader government spending cuts.

"It was heartbreaking," one student told the BBC, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns. "Everyone was shocked and crying. We've been told we will be sent back within two weeks."

Risk of persecution

Since regaining power nearly four years ago, the Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women, including banning them from universities and most forms of employment. The Afghan women in Oman, many of whom had fled Pakistan last September after waiting in limbo for 18 months, now fear for their safety if forced to return.

"If we are sent back, we will face severe consequences," one student said. "It would mean losing all our dreams. Many of us could also be at personal risk due to our past affiliations and activism."

The students were pursuing graduate and post-graduate studies in STEM fields, which are now effectively off-limits to women under Taliban rule. They had secured scholarships before the Taliban seized Afghanistan in 2021 and were relocated to Oman between October and November 2024 under USAID-facilitated visas.

Emails seen by the BBC confirm the termination of their scholarships, acknowledging the news would be "profoundly disappointing and unsettling." The emails also refer to travel arrangements back to Afghanistan, raising alarm among the students.

Aid freeze and political fallout

The Trump administration’s decision to freeze USAID funding has faced legal challenges but has already resulted in the termination or suspension of thousands of humanitarian programs worldwide. The White House has defended the move as part of broader government efficiency reforms.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly blamed the crisis facing Afghan women on the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration, telling the Washington Post: "Afghan women are suffering because Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal allowed the Taliban to impose mediaeval Sharia law policies."

The freeze has also been implemented by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce federal spending.

Calls for rrgent international intervention

The Afghan students are now appealing for urgent intervention from the international community, seeking financial assistance and resettlement to a safe country where they can continue their education.

"When we arrived, our sponsors told us not to return to Afghanistan until 2028 because it was unsafe. And now they’re telling us to go back," a student said.

The Taliban has cracked down on women protesting for education and employment, with activists reporting arrests, beatings, and threats. Women in Afghanistan describe themselves as “dead bodies moving around” under the regime’s oppressive policies.

The US State Department has yet to comment on the situation, while the USAID website's media contact page remains offline.

With just days before deportation proceedings are expected to begin, the Afghan women in Oman facean uncertain and perilous future.