Afghan Refugees - Tumblr Posts
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17A66nRkK0DNZj-hL_wNRis8FivCBIJsDp_af4i8sY-s/edit
The crowdsourced doc with everything from petitions to donations to how to offer legal or other in-kind services to where vent your anger at this clusterfuck.
assistance for Afghan refugees and internally displaced people
As many of you know, the reason I was basically absent from Tumblr for more than two weeks was because I was working as part of several volunteer groups to try to coordinate evacuation for the many friends I have in Kabul. Because of the extent to which the international community fucked up the evacuation— with the tiniest fraction of people eligible for US and international resettlement actually being rescued, while the rest were left to suffer reprisals— this proved impossible for most. Now a lot of people have been left to flee legally or illegally to neighboring countries and rely on humanitarian aid while they wait for their visa or resettlement applications to be processed. This likely means that they will be unable to support themselves and their families for more than a year, as the visa/resettlement process is an unbelievable nightmare. Some of these are families who were already displaced, having fled their homes for Kabul as the Taliban advanced, and who are therefore starting out with no home and no income.
Problematically, the crisis in Kabul has unfolded so quickly and the political situation in Afghanistan is such that international aid organizations are simply not [yet] in a position to provide direct support to these families right now. Volunteers on the internet have mobilized to provide donation-funded top-ups for phones, which is essential to help people plan evacuations, handle visa applications, and contact scattered loved ones, but there is no way to get cold hard cash to people so they can feed and house themselves.
I am currently working with a few people to raise money for families I know in order to help them get across the border and support themselves for the foreseeable future. Because GoFundMe is flagging all Afghanistan-related fundraisers, we’re doing this informally— we’re just collecting money and passing it on to people I personally know, as a friend. Also, the best way to get money to people in Kabul at the moment is through hawaala rather than banks, and that is easier through this method.
If you would like to contribute, you can CashApp us at £kmferebee. I’m happy to add you to an email list through which I can share receipts and details about the families in question. If you have doubts or questions, I’m also happy to address those.
And if someone you know is currently trapped in Kabul or the surrounding area, I’m also happy to provide information, referrals, and connections for them if you send them to me, or direct them to verified volunteers who can help.