The U.S. must not abandon people to this human rights crisis.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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

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