The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has left thousands of individuals with no place to turn.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nearly 400,000 in Afghanistan have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year. They joined 2.9 million Afghans already displaced across the country since the end of 2020.
How to help Afghanistan refugees
For those interested in offering aid, there are resources to help Afghan refugees.
No One Left Behind is an organization helping Afghan and Iraqi interpreters resettle in the United States.
Women for Women International, which helps women survivors of war and conflict rebuild their lives, created an emergency campaign for women in Afghanistan who now face an uncertain future. One donor is going to match up to $500,000 in donations for that program, according to its website.
Hearts & Homes for Refugees is advocating for special immigration visa holders, which include Afghan translators, engineers, security guards, embassy clerks, logisticians and soldiers who helped the U.S. for 20 years.
Keeping Our Promise provides resettlement assistance, such as apartment furnishing and school enrollment, to endangered wartime allies who served the U.S.
In Washington, D.C., Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area put a call out for volunteers to help assist resettled Afghans. In the past two weeks, the organization said it has helped 68 families and 294 people, and is immediately anticipating another 150 referrals.
Afghan-American Women's Association offers resources and support to the Afghan community that will help integrate them into society.
In California, Jewish Family & Community Services, East Bay, upholds the Jewish values of "welcoming the stranger and caring for the vulnerable” and has created an urgent Afghan evacuation effort. The organization reported it has already welcomed 40 people to begin their new lives and are currently waiting for 23 more people to arrive from Fort Lee. It has also accepted the cases of another 33 who are still in Afghanistan.
Muslim Aid USA (MAUSA) provides humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Kabul and the Kunar Province of Afghanistan.
