How To Take Action for Afghanistan

The unfolding situation in Afghanistan is terrifying, and many of us want to help any way we can.

Here’s a range of ways to make a difference, no matter what your capacity might be. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing to do is just take positive action.

Donate

One of the quickest and simplest ways of making an impact is to support the organisations already working hard to support people.

GARAS (Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) are helping bring families to safety in Gloucestershire, dealing with legal issues and housing. They’re currently seeking funds to support their work, so any contributions make a big difference.

It’s been wonderful to see how many people want to help in light of the crisis in Afghanistan. We have been overwhelmed with offers of clothes, household goods, food and more which we are unfortunately unable to accept at this point because we do not have any storage facilities.

A relatively small number of families (maybe 7) will be coming to Cheltenham, but until we know who and when it is hard to know what they will need. It may be clothes of a particular size and age appropriate toys, but it might be bikes and school bags. 

We will let you know when we know – and know we can rely on your help.

If you have items you need to pass on, how about a British Red Cross charity shop to support the work they have been doing at the airports meeting the immediate needs of families as they arrive and before they move on to hotels?

Or you may want to consider a financial donation (https://www.cheltenhamwelcomesrefugees.org.uk/donate) or a store voucher, as some essentials (e.g. underwear) cannot be provided second-hand.

And remember we are still supporting the families who have fled Syria and the people from many other war-torn countries who are seeking asylum here.

We also really recommend the amazing work done by:

• Women for Refugee Women

• Afghan Aid

• Freedom From Torture

• Refugee Council UK

• Women for Afghan Women

• Islamic Relief

• Choose Love is calling on the UK Government to ambitiously increase the numbers of refugees they’re aiming to resettle - presently they’ve only committed to 5000 every year, but we have the resources to scale the scheme up significantly.

• And Detention Action is calling to end practices of inhumane immigrant detention - there’s a risk of Afghans coming to the UK to seek asylum, only to be placed in unsafe and unsanitary detention centres.

inspire your community

There are several ways to involve your wider community in helping refugees in Afghanistan and across the world.

• Talent Airlift uses shortcuts given by work visa regulations to rapidly bring refugees to safety and new job opportunities. Your own place of work can recruit people qualified in certain fields and at risk of displacement.

• Community sponsorship is an ongoing scheme in coordination with UNHCR that helps local people to fund the resettlement of vulnerable families. There’s more detailed information on it here, and so far this scheme’s helped almost 500 families to settle in the UK.

There are also ways of donating air miles to refugees so they can find safety in new countries - while no UK airlines currently support this scheme, you could call or write to companies such as British Airways or Easyjet to ask them to get involved too.

There’s also information on fostering refugee children through Gloucestershire County Council here, which can be one of the most impactful things you can do.

stay informed

This situation has got people talking, and while it’s good we’re having these difficult conversations, it’s really important to take opportunities to correct any misinformation you might encounter.

Remember:

• There’s no such thing as an “illegal refugee”. The right to seek asylum when experiencing displacement is enshrined in international law, no matter how you travel or which countries you pass through along the way. Refugees in small boats on the Channel are just as legitimate in their needs and claims to safety as people in camps who go through the laborious and years-long process of applying remotely for asylum - and honestly, both these routes to safety are inhumane and untenable. We need to fight for better asylum laws in the UK.

• We should - and can - accommodate whole families. No family should be traumatised by having to leave loved ones behind simply because UK laws have been dismantling routes of reunification. We shouldn’t selectively grant asylum only to women and children - entire family units deserve to find safe new homes together without abandoning anyone to violence.

• We have space and resources for everyone who needs them. You can help to keep refugee rights on the agenda by correcting misinformation, by boycotting any media outlets using migrants as scapegoats, or by asking the Government to accept their international responsibilities of compassion and mutual support.

If you’d also like to stay informed of progress to help Afghan people:

• Doctors Without Borders are doing remarkable work and keeping people updated on how to help out.

• Gulwali Passarlay, a child refugee and author of The Lightless Sky, routinely continues to speak on the issues facing Afghan people.

• Rukhshana Media reports on ongoing news in Afghanistan, with a focus on stories reported by female journalists.

• And Afghan Aid works tirelessly in rural communities across Afghanistan to provide emergency aid to displaced people who are fleeing violence.

Many thanks to the talented photographers of Unsplash for their gorgeous photos of Afghanistan - Froz Sidiqy, E.J. Wolfson, Sohaib Ghyasi, Ali Mosavi and Mohammad Rahmani