Afghanistan in Crisis: Helping Refugees

President Biden’s decision to extricate the United States from Afghanistan has come with a cost: a humanitarian crisis impacting Afghan allies. The lives and families of interpreters, translators, and others who provided critical help to the U.S. in its two decades of war and nation-building, have been shattered by the Taliban’s takeover. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres urged people to “take notice of the impending humanitarian catastrophe” and help Afghans face “their darkest hour of need.”  

WR Immigration is working on numerous Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and helping with humanitarian parole applications, as well as advising on other visa options. Attorney Mitch Montgomery is one of the WR attorneys working with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) helping Afghan refugees. Mitch observes that, “Some Afghans who served alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and other government employees as interpreters, translators, cultural advisors, are now at risk, along with their families, and we want to do everything possible to help these families.”

Managing partner Bernie Wolfsdorf is coordinating the exit of a large group and helping individuals. “The biggest issue for those who have not been able to get out,” Wolfsdorf says, “is how to get to a safe place, and for those stuck in temporary facilities abroad, we are actively working to get them to a safe place in the U.S. or other countries that are willing to accept Afghan refugees.”

Readers interested in helping can make a difference in many ways. 

Donate

Pangea and Centro Legal are working with the Afghan Diaspora for Equality & Progress to file humanitarian parole applications. They need assistance through donations to pay the $575 cost of filing fees. You can donate here. 

Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay is assisting in the resettlement of Afghans. You can donate here.

The International Rescue Committee is assisting in the resettlement of Afghans. You can donate here. 

Sponsor

Pangea and Centro Legal are working with several hundred Afghans who require sponsorship in order to be able to file their humanitarian parole applications. You can sign up to sponsor a family or individual here.

Volunteer

If you are interested in assisting Pangea, Centro Legal, and the Afghan Diaspora for Equality & Progress with their efforts to complete Humanitarian Parole applications for Afghans, please complete this Google form to be paired with a family.

Volunteer to assist Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay with resettling Afghans who are arriving to the United States daily. You can register here. 

Opening Doors in Sacramento is in urgent need of volunteers to assist with greeting Afghan evacuees arriving at the airport and transporting them to their destinations. Families are arriving almost daily. There is additional need in preparing for the arrivals with building of Welcome Kits, apartment set ups, furniture movers, and special events support. These activities require volunteers to undergo background checks as part of the application process, so if you are interested and able to assist – start the process today by clicking here.