[ [link removed] ]Add your name: Protect civilians in Afghanistan and evacuate vulnerable
communities immediately.

Dear MoveOn member,

I am a first-generation Afghan American and the child of Afghan refugees
in America. Right now, my family and I are watching in horror and
pain—uncertain if my family will live to see another day. Thousands,
including my uncle, a U.S. citizen, are trying to flee the country as the
United States armed forces and NATO leave Afghanistan and Kabul, the
capitol, has fallen to the Taliban.^1 

The U.S. must not abandon people to this human rights crisis and must see
through a commitment to civilians and refugees. [ [link removed] ]Add your name to the
petition urging President Biden and Congress to evacuate vulnerable
communities and commit to protect civilians.

While it is in the United States' and Afghanistan’s best interests for the
United States to withdraw, the United States owes Afghans support and a
commitment to peace.

We urge the Biden administration and Congress to ensure the safety of the
most vulnerable in Afghanistan by increasing refugee caps, keeping the
airport in Kabul open, expanding visas, and providing humanitarian aid to
support innocent Afghans.

 

[3]Sign Afghans for a Better Tomorrow's petition

The United States has a responsibility to provide a safe haven for
refugees created by this conflict, as one of the main drivers of the
conflict. After pursuing 20 years of failed policies that have harmed
Afghans, the very least the United States can do is provide refuge for
those seeking it, along with a safe, accessible, expedited way to seek
asylum, as the Taliban will control the country by force, repressing
vulnerable Afghans.

As the U.S. and NATO remove troops, the Taliban has restarted their reign
of terror, targeting women, girls, LGBTQ+, and ethnic and religious
minorities and tearing apart communities. Thousands have become internally
displaced as a result, without shelter or food.^2 Keeping the airport open
has become an essential lifeline for these vulnerable populations to apply
for asylum or refugee status.^3

In early May, almost 90 Afghan children were killed and 150 injured in a
bombing that specifically targeted an all-girls school in one of
Afghanistan’s ethnic and religious minority neighborhoods within
Kabul.^4 It was one of the deadliest bombings targeting civilians in the
past year. This sent a clear message that there are hundreds of thousands
of Afghans in danger under Taliban rule. [ [link removed] ]Sign the petition calling upon
President Biden and Congress to support the most vulnerable in
Afghanistan.

Afghanistan was further ravaged by the longest war in American history
and, as a result, has almost entirely become dependent on foreign aid. The
Taliban targets women and other marginalized groups, such as Shia Muslim
and the ethnic minority group Hazaras, in the country. And while the
Taliban has had control over parts of the country and continued to oppress
women in smaller towns, Kabul and other major metropolitan areas have
afforded vulnerable Afghans some semblance of safety, freedom, and access
to education.

In addition to failing its COVID response, Afghanistan is facing a
devastating drought, with estimates that as many as 17 million Afghans,
about 42% of the population, will face famine-like conditions this year,
according to the International Organization for Migration.^5

President Biden and Congress must immediately evacuate as many Afghans as
possible from vulnerable populations, remove the cap on refugees so those
who want can leave the country, and increase humanitarian aid for Afghans
without shelter or food.

Together, we can ensure that the Afghan people have a chance at a future
without war, violence, or a humanitarian crisis. It’s the least they’re
owed after decades of occupation.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to
your friends.

Thanks!

–Halema Wali, Afghans for a Better Tomorrow

Sources:

1. "Afghanistan Live Updates: Fear Spreads in Kabul as Taliban Take
Charge," The New York Times, August 16, 2021
[link removed]
 
2. "UNHCR warns Afghanistan’s conflict taking the heaviest toll on
displaced women and children," UNHRC, August 13, 2021
[link removed]
 
3. "U.S. Is Sending 3,000 Troops Back to Afghanistan to Begin
Evacuations," The New York Times, August 12, 2021
[link removed]
 
4. "Bombing Outside Afghan School Kills at Least 90, With Girls as
Targets," The New York Times, May 8, 2021
[link removed]
 
5. "UN: 34 Million People ‘Knocking at Famine’s Door’ Worldwide," Voice of
America, March 11, 2021
[link removed]

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you.
It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online
petitions. You can [ [link removed] ]start your own petition here.


Want to support our work? Together, we made Donald Trump a one-term
president! Now, it's time to expand access to health care, fight for
citizenship for the undocumented, reform policing, and tackle the climate
crisis.

Will you chip in to power the fight for bold, progressive change?



[ [link removed] ]Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.





You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]