How to help Afghan refugees and those trapped during the Taliban takeover

As militants crowded Kabul streets, thousands of Afghans and people who support them have tried to board flights to escape Taliban rule â€" but not all have been successful.

The result has been a crisis marked by displacement within the country and abroad. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 400,000 people have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year. They joined 2.9 million Afghans who already have been displaced across the country since the end of 2020.

“We are seeing large-scale displacement in what is now a humanitarian emergency,” Christopher Boian, a senior communications officer for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, told The Washington Post this week.

As the situation has escalated, organizations have launched initiatives to aid refugees. Some are providing aid to those remaining in the country, while others are helping Afghans resettling in the United States. Here’s how you can help.

For those in Afghanistan

The International Rescue Committee is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding people displaced by war, persecution or natural disaster. The organization has worked in Afghanistan since 1988, providing “displaced families with shelter, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities,” according to its website, as well as education and cash assistance. The organization is accepting financial contributions for its relief efforts.

Women for Women International â€" a nonprofit that aids female survivors of war and conflict â€" established an emergency campaign in Afghanistan. According to its website, one donor is matching up to $500,000 in contributions for that program.

Women for Afghan Women, the “largest women’s organization in Afghanistan,” according to its website, is also accepting donations to help provide “safe shelter, resources, and aid to the thousands of women, children, families, and staff.”

The Child Foundation, which helps impoverished children access education, created the Afghanistan Crisis Fund for Emergency Assistance in the Balkh province, where about 800 children supported by the foundation live. According to its website, it has raised $15,000 to feed 300 families. The organization is accepting contributions.

Suneeta’s husband, an interpreter for U.S. forces, disappeared in 2013. She made it to Albany, N.Y. as a refugee, but her four children are stuck in Kabul. (Jon Gerberg/The Washington Post)

GlobalGiving, a crowdfunding network that connects nonprofits to donors, launched the Afghanistan Emergency Fund to support families, activists and journalists who are “particularly at risk.” It said donations for this initiative will be distributed to GlobalGiving’s local partners in the country.

In partnership with Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, International Media Support is collecting donations to protect journalists who remain in Afghanistan, providing shelter, food and support.

Also aiding members of the news media, the Committee to Protect Journalists is providing resources to Afghan journalists and urging the United States to ensure their safety “by facilitating safe passage out of the country and providing emergency visas.” The organization is accepting donations.

Vital Voices Global Partnership is a Washington-based organization that “invests in women leaders who are solving the world’s greatest challenges,” according to its website. It created the Afghan Women’s Fund to support the safety of women’s rights activists in Afghanistan and those who have been evacuated from the country.

Two organizations serving Muslim Americans have launched initiatives to aid displaced families in Afghanistan. Islamic Relief USA is accepting donations to help families struggling with hunger in Kabul, Balkh, Herat and Nangahar provinces. Muslim Aid USA is providing meals and hygiene kits to displaced people in Kabul and Konar province.

For those trying to leave

No One Left Behind is a U.S.-based nonprofit devoted to “ensuring that America keeps its promise to our allies and their families who risked their lives for our freedom.” The organization aids Afghan interpreters trying to get visas and resettling in the country. It is accepting donations.

Miles4Migrants accepts donated airline frequent flier miles, credit card points and cash to help people reunite with loved ones or resettle in a new country after fleeing their own that’s imperiled by war, persecution or disaster.

Hearts & Homes for Refugees is an advocacy group for people who have Special Immigration Visas, including Afghan translators, engineers, security guards, embassy clerks, logisticians and soldiers who helped the U.S. efforts. It is accepting financial contributions.

Human Rights First is seeking pro bono lawyers to assist Afghan evacuees. The human rights organization is also offering resources to protect Afghans’ online identities from the Taliban â€" who “now likely to have access to various biometric databases and equipment in Afghanistan, including some left behind by coalition military forces,” according to the group. It is collecting donations for its relief response.

For Afghan refugees coming to the U.S.

Church World Service resettlement offices are providing housing, job training and social services to Afghan refugees in the United States. The nonprofit organization is accepting donations, as well as offers of rental units and sponsorships for arriving families. Interested people are asked to email refugeewelcome@cwsglobal.org.

In Virginia, two locations are seeking Pashto and Dari interpreters to assist Afghan refugees: Dulles International Airport and Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale. Interested people are asked to email hdmrc@fairfaxcounty.gov with subject line “Afghan Interpreters.”

The International Rescue Committee’s Phoenix office is looking for volunteers to set up apartments for refugees. The organization’s Denver and Missoula, Mont., offices are seeking people to mentor families by assisting with appointments and helping them acclimate to the United States.

Refugee Services of Texas is seeking volunteers to help Afghan refugees with apartment setup, orientation and transportation.

In Philadelphia, the Nationalities Service Center, a refugee resettlement agency, has volunteer opportunities for people welcoming Afghan families into their communities. The agency also established an Amazon Wish List for items to help stock refugees’ homes and is accepting donations. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

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