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Dear Friend,
In September 2021, more than 122,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover. Of those evacuees, 1,500 were children separated from family members in the chaos. Today, over 160 unaccompanied Afghan children remain in the U.S., waiting to be reunited with their families.
Afghan refugee youth not only experienced the sudden trauma of being evacuated from their home country, but also were separated from family who were either left behind (or killed) in Afghanistan, or their family ended up on a flight evacuated to a different country. Stepping off the plane one child recounts asking, “Where am I? What country is this? Where is my family?”
The detention shelters that took them in were ill-equipped with the necessary resources to address their needs – no one could speak their language or understand their religious, cultural, or dietary needs. They also could not provide adequate medical and mental health services to appropriately respond to their severe trauma.
The Young Center wasted no time in recruiting and training volunteers who spoke Farsi/Dari and Pashtu and advocating for culturally appropriate support services to provide relief. In addition, we successfully advocated for Afghan children’s release from detention and placement with foster care families they identified with culturally. And we have helped to realize a number of complex international reunifications for children who haven’t seen their parents in nearly two years.
For the children and youth who remain, we ensure that they continue to experience stable and uninterrupted placement in a community where they can attend school and participate with peers in their favorite activities, such as soccer. We are grateful partners with these communities, who have demonstrated enormous compassion and care for these children while they remain hopeful for the day they will reunite with family.
On this World Refugee Day, June 20, we celebrate the strength and courage of the Afghan youth and others who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. Join us in honoring them by making a gift to the Young Center. Your gift enables us to continue advocating for their safety and protection while they rebuild their lives in a new home.
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