Though the world’s attention has shifted to the refugee crisis in Ukraine, hunger continues to affect 96% of Afghans.
In the last few weeks, nearly a dozen Afghan allies and democracy activists approached me with tales of extreme food insecurity. Most have been unemployed for seven months. They are increasingly concerned about their security amid weeks of intensive Taliban home-to-home searches. Because of the danger they face each day, their names have been changed to protect their identities.
Bismillah was a journalist and humanitarian activist. Though he was employed through several projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, he is not eligible for a Priority-2 referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The Taliban, though, have shot, beaten, and imprisoned Bismillah for his support of democracy. Unable to seek treatment for his injuries, Bismillah has spent the past 150 days in hiding. He survives on dry bread and water and is out of funds to pay for food or housing.
Former Army Corps of Engineers employee and special immigrant visa applicant Hilaluddin can no longer afford to warm his house or feed his family. This is especially difficult for his wife, who gave birth to a new baby just last week.
Siddiqa and her husband have been on the run and living in terror as a result of direct threats from the Taliban. Siddiqa’s husband, who worked more than six years as a radio technician with U.S. forces and Afghan military and police, applied for an SIV in August. While trying to stay hidden from the Taliban, the couple can no longer afford warming supplies and basic food items.
SIV applicant Taha had a vital role in maintaining Afghan government radio systems. Because of the utility of his knowledge, the Taliban have called to offer Taha work multiple times. Taha, his daughter, and his pregnant wife moved in with his sister after experiencing security and supply concerns while being supported by a U.S. evacuation organization. Taha bought food by selling precious family items. With nothing left to sell, he has taken a loan from a family member.
Like many Afghans, Bismillah, Hilaluddin, and Siddiqa have been unable to get assistance from volunteer evacuation groups, who remained operational by limiting their caseloads in order to afford the expense of providing food, supplies, safety, and passports for Afghan allies awaiting evacuation. Unfortunately, donations for Afghans have dried up since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Volunteers tell me that supporting their current caseload is now unsustainable. It is “a tsunami of horror,” says a volunteer at Operation North Star. “Donor money has collapsed, and costs in Afghanistan have skyrocketed.”
Amy Sins, executive director at Fill the Needs, says that her donors want to see success. In Afghanistan, success comes in the form of small wins, such as acquiring expensive passports for members of a single Afghan family. Ben Owen, the president of Flanders Fields, has liquidated tens of thousands of dollars from his own savings to support Afghans. He hopes to see countries around the world fulfill the promises they made to open their doors to Afghan refugees.
After the U.S. withdrawal, around 78,000 SIV applicants were left behind in Afghanistan. The State Department did not respond to questions about how many SIV applications have been submitted in the past seven months. To date, around 44,500 Afghans have applied for humanitarian parole visas. At least 28,000 Afghans have been referred to the Priority-1 and Priority-2 programs within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The State Department tells me 15,000 have been “accepted into the system.”
By any count, tens of thousands of Afghan allies remain destitute, food insecure, and terrified. Volunteer groups and Afghans without external support are approaching a breaking point.
Beth Bailey (@BWBailey85) is a freelance writer from the Detroit area.
