The scenes in Afghanistan this month, as the Taliban regained control of the country following the collapse of the Western-backed government, will have shocked many.
Now, with masses of people attempting to evacuate the country from Kabul airport before foreign forces leave Afghanistan on the 31 August deadline, the situation is increasingly dangerous.
As people desperately try to flee, the crowds gathered at the airport have resulted in fatal crushes that have left children orphaned.
Yesterday, two deadly suicide bombings committed by Isis-K – an affiliate group of Islamic State – killed dozens of people, including children, who were trying to flee the country from Kabul airport.
Despite most of us being thousands of miles away, there are a few small things you can do to support those directly affected by what is happening.
Firstly, there are refugee charities that are accepting donations to help Afghans that are attempting to flee the country.
A Twitter thread created by @KateOfHysteria has listed many of the causes that you can give to right now.
UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency)@Refugees https://t.co/Rc4OHb7rvM
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Choose Love@chooselove
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Buy essential kits and bundles for refugees here:https://t.co/pn3JaEfrJY
Refugee Council@refugeecouncil https://t.co/ov5ETapqwl
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
British Red Cross@BritishRedCross https://t.co/J6ND4gNMQC
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Women for Refugee Women@4refugeewomen https://t.co/rGjXYHR8gw
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Refugee Action@RefugeeAction https://t.co/Nl7CBJMgHM
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Refugees International@RefugeesIntl https://t.co/QxnkU3AbJv
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
OK, one more:
— Kate (@KateOfHysteria) August 16, 2021
Open Hearts Open Bordershttps://t.co/BvTwiWXhpP
Former Tory MP Rory Stewart has also shared a link to a Crowdfunder campaign organised by the Turquoise Mountain Trust that is hoping to aim £100,000 for the Afghan people.
Afghanistan has been betrayed into horror + it’s easy to feel helpless. But we can still support people on the ground. We have a small charity supporting a few 1000. Please donate if you can below. And there are, of course, many other great charities too https://t.co/YfgEl84GGd
— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) August 13, 2021
Other trusted charities and humanitarian organisations that you can donate to include:
- HIAS
- Care
- Oxfam
- Unicef
Beyond charities, there are numerous things you can do to make sure that the right people are aware that you want to help the Afghan people in their time of need. A viral thread by Bushra Abadi, which has been shared more than 15,000 times on Twitter alone, details many of the different ways you can help support Afghanistan.
Here are a few of her key points.
Amplify experts and activists voices. Not your own
Few of us are actually experts in Afghanistan or Middle Eastern politics. Share the voices and knowledge of the people who know what they are talking about rather than your own.
2) Instead follow and amplify the voices, work, and initiatives of Afghan activists, leaders, journalists, artists, and researchers.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
Reach out to your local political figure
Get in touch with your local member of parliament or elected official to see what they are doing to help the Afghan people. This can involve protesting against deportations back to Afghanistan and helping those to resettle people in need.
3) Find out if your government is deporting Afghans back to Afghanistan. Many governments around the world were deporting Afghan asylum seekers and only recently paused deportations.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
5) The US and NATO allies benefitted from the support of local Afghans who are being targeted. Reach out to your political representatives and leaders to ensure that efforts are being made to evacuate and resettle these individuals and their families.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
6) Has your country agreed to resettle Afghan refugees? Help support resettlement efforts, not just with monetary donations but through community support. In Canada you can sign up here to volunteer/donate: https://t.co/99V8wCP2t1.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
Campaign for mental health support for refugees and asylum seekers
PTSD and trauma is often overlooked and neglected when resettling refugees.
7) Advocate for trauma-informed and culturally relevant supports for Afghan refugees and asylum seekers. Historically, mental health support has been underfunded and overlooked. PTSD, intergenerational trauma are real.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
Speak out against ethnic cleansing
Many marginalised religious groups in Afghanistan will now likely be targetted by the Taliban. Protection of heritage sites is also of the upmost importance.
11) Speak out against the targeted attacks and ethnic cleansing of especially marginalized Afghan communities, including Hazara, Sikh, Hindu, and Shia Muslim people.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
17) Amidst the escalating conflict, it is also vital that the international community mobilize to safeguard cultural heritage and sites in Afghanistan. Cultural cleansing and genocide threaten prospects for peace and contribute to the erasure of marginalized peoples.
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
Back calls to keep borders open to Afghan refugees
Also, support the work that the UN and other humanitarian organisations are doing in Afghanistan.
14) Displaced Afghans are being turned back at borders around the world. Support @Refugees' call to keep borders open to Afghans seeking asylum. https://t.co/QNc1rbACcj
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
16) The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is not new but is deepening. And there are funding shortfalls. Support the work that frontline UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are doing in Afghanistan. https://t.co/O1hwyUUQmJ
— Bushra Ebadi (@Bushra_Ebadi) August 14, 2021
Elsewhere Sahdya Darr an Immigration Policy Manager for Open Rights Group and Educational Mentor for Refugee Education UK has also been highlighting other ways you can help Afghan people.
Donating your airline miles
If you have airline miles you can donate them to those who are legal approved to travel and mitigate the fees for the flights.
You can donate your airline miles to those who have legal approval to travel but cannot afford airfare. You can also donate to help mitigate fees associated with flights. https://t.co/BE1nUCATJH
— Sahdya Darr (@sahdyadarr) August 16, 2021
Rukshana Media and Sahar Speaks
If you want to support female Afghan reporters and journalism then check out Rukshana Media and Sahar Speaks.
Donate to @RukhshanaMedia, a journalist group staffed by Afghan women who are doing amazing reporting. https://t.co/VZpzm9OMQo
— Sahdya Darr (@sahdyadarr) August 16, 2021
You can donate to @Sahar_Speaks, an organisation nurturing Afghan female reporters. https://t.co/FsEQLMMLvR
— Sahdya Darr (@sahdyadarr) August 16, 2021
Ehtesab App
Ehtesab App helps keep people in Kabul safe and up to date with security updates.
Donate to @ehtesabaf, an Afghan-based startup that keeps Kabul residents updated and informed about what’s going on by sending them security alerts. https://t.co/vDJ6EcxLeN
— Sahdya Darr (@sahdyadarr) August 16, 2021
Around 5 million people live in Kabul, with at least 60 Afghans and 13 US service members reportedly killed in blasts at the airport. The Taliban are being urged by many nations to let those fleeing leave the country peacefully, warning of human rights abuse accountability.
