Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis Resource Kit

Use this guide to connect to, provide, share, and/or understand resources available to the Afghans and Americans that are resettling from Afghanistan during the August 2021 Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis.

VFRL Statement | History | Current Crisis| Resources| Action

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

VFRL Statement

• “Afghanistan in Crisis: An Open Letter”, VFRL Medium, 17 Aug 2021, Read time: 3 min

“We remember the costs and sacrifices this almost 20-year conflict has required of our Service members, veterans, and their families.”

History

• “Afghanistan Interpreter Crisis Resource Kit” — VFRL Medium, 17 Aug 2021, Read time: 2 min
• “The history of Afghanistan and US ties” — Vox, 21 Aug 2021, Read time: 13 min
• “Taliban sweep into Afghan capital…” — AP News, 15 Aug 2021, Read Time: 6 min

Current Crisis

• “Chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan was inevitable…” — Military Times, 22 Aug 2021, Read time: 8 min
• “Pentagon gets U.S. commercial airlines to help with Afghanistan evacuation” — Vanity Fair, 22 Aug 2021, Read time: 11 min
• “Infographic: How many people evacuated from Afghanistan so far?” — Al Jazeera, 22 Aug 2021, Read time: 4 min

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

Resources

• Veteran Crisis Line — If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1–800–273–8255, then PRESS 1 or visit veteranscrisisline.net
• US Department of State — Afghanistan Inquiries
• Refugee Processing Center — SIV/Iraqi & Syrian P-2/Afghan P-2, Map FY 2020 Reception and Placement Program Affiliate Sites
• Travel.State.Gov —Afghanistan Evacuation Information
• Tom Cotton (R-AR) — Contact Information for Americans Stranded in Afghanistan
• No One Left Behind & Higher Ground Vets — On Monday, August 23, 2021, we sent a letter to President Biden urgently requesting that he meet with our Coalition to discuss fulfilling our commitment to our Afghan allies. We’d like for you to join us in co-signing this letter, so that we can show the White House that there’s increasing momentum and political will behind Americans’ desire to see us keep our promises.
• AirBnb — Airbnb and Airbnb.org are announcing that Airbnb.org will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. “Airbnb.org — an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in moments of crisis”
• Sen. Chris Coons — Senator Coons on situation in Afghanistan | WITN Channel 22 Wilmington, Delaware (witn22.org)
• Sen. Tom Carper — “Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)…said that while the U.S. military shouldn’t have stayed “indefinitely,” the drawdown “should have been carefully planned to prevent violence and instability, and to ensure that the hard-fought progress gained over the past two decades — particularly when it comes to Afghan women and girls — would not be lost.” Statement on Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis.
• Rep. Jamie Raskin — Signed a bipartisan letter pressing The White House for answers on Afghanistan evacuations.
• Lutheran Immigration Refugee — Currently accepting volunteers: “Help Our Afghan Allies”; Press: “President Biden Must Act Immediately to Protect Vulnerable Afghans”, Statement on President Biden’s Speech Addressing Evacuation Efforts in Afghanistan, LIRS on NPR’s ‘Here & Now’: “Relocating Our Afghan Allies”
• World Vision — 16 Aug 2021, “Act now to avoid failing the children of Afghanistan”

Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi on Unsplash

Take Action

1. Add your name to join us in calling on the U.S. government to lift all red tape for Afghan refugees immediately.
2. Join the conversation and tell us what you are thinking and feeling at this moment using #salamforafghanistan.
3. Let us know you or your organization can support this crisis in ways other than donating by filling out our short form.
4. If you know a family/individual involved in the Afghanistan Crisis, and they need resources, please share this form with them or complete it for them.
5. Join our mailing list for weekly updates on this crisis and for invites to our weekly Community Calls.
6. Next week, we’ll be hosting a Community Call centered in communicating with you representatives, whether it’s phone, written, or in-person.