International

U.S. desperate for countries to house Afghan refugees

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2021

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By Jenny Goldsberry

President Biden met with officials from Kosovo and Albania recently in an attempt to encourage more countries to take in Afghan refugees. These negotiations to house thousand of Afghanis who helped the US during the past 20 years have been secret. Four U.S. officials confirmed the meetings to Reuters.

Already, Operation Allies Refuge reported 1,200 Afghans have been resettled in the United States. But they expect a total of 3,500.

There are 400 SIV applicants whose visas are in the final stages of processing, according to Reuters. Reports have suggested that many have arrived in recent days at the start of an evacuation effort dubbed “Operation Allies Refuge.” That operation may include as many as 50,000 people or more, Reuters reported.

Then, Biden publicly met with officials from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the matter. Yet no agreements have been struck. One official confirmed that the deal to house 8,000 Afghans in Qatar is nearly finished.

Sara's Afghan Friend: 'The Taliban Will Kill Us'

Click Link ->> https://t.co/uhShA7mtYy pic.twitter.com/gk0ZLSwidZ
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) August 13, 2021

Two additional sources claimed countries are hesitating to take in the Afghans they’re concerned about COVID-19 health screenings. These screenings take place before refugees board the plane and the worry is the results will be inaccurate. The same concerns translate to security vettings.

Meanwhile, the embassies of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kosovo and Albania did not respond to Reuter’s requests for comment.

Read the full article here.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

International

Mental health crisis spikes among Afghan women after Taliban regained control two years ago

Published

2 days ago

September 21, 2023

Sara Carter Staff

The women of Afghanistan are suffering a mental health crisis since the Taliban regained power two years ago. According to a joint report from three U.N. agencies released Tuesday, approximately 70% of women experience feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression.

The numbers continue to rise, as there has already been a significant jump between April and June of this year alone, with an increase from 57% the preceding quarter.

The report, conducted by U.N. Women, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, interviewed women online, in-person and in group consultations as well as individual telesurveys.

592 Afghan women in 22 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces took part in the study. The Associated Press reports:

They have barred women from most areas of public life and work and banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade. They have prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organizations. The ban was extended to employees of the United Nations in April.

Opportunities to study continued to shrink as community-based education by international organizations was banned and home-based schooling initiatives were regularly shut down by the de facto authorities — a term use by the U.N. for the Taliban government.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education and the rights of Afghan women and children are on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report also served as a vessel for Afghan women to send a message to the rest of the world: do not validate the Taliban government. Forty-six percent of women said international recognition of the Taliban government should not happen under any circumstances, while 50% warned that recognition should only occur under specific conditions contingent on improving women’s rights.

The report notes that the women expressed concern that recognition would only encourage the Taliban government to continue becoming stricter in their policies and practices against women and girls.

Afghan women had specific ideas and suggestions: they “urged the international community to continue political and economic sanctions against the Taliban, including by not granting exemptions to a travel ban. They urged an increase in engagement with the Taliban on gender equality and women’s rights, including by engaging community and religious leaders in awareness and advocacy efforts” writes the Associated Press.