The Crisis in Afghanistan: What can YOU do to Help?

By: Katie Harbaugh

As a follow up to my past article about the current crisis in Afghanistan and how the US has been involved, I wanted to provide a list of links and resources for people to help refugees leaving Afghanistan. Many Afghan refugees are coming to the United States and to communities surrounding us. This resettlement process is unimaginably difficult, as Afghan refugees are having to leave their homes and come to a foreign country with practically nothing. On top of that, they are faced with the pressure of finding a place to live, and a little help (financial, material, etc.) can go a long way in making this process less difficult. For those who are interested, here is a list of easy-access resources where anyone can provide assistance in many different forms:

1. Refugee Response has a support portal where you can offer donations in the form of food, clothing, and money. They also give the opportunity for volunteers to provide housing & legal assistance, which is hugely important in the resettlement process. 

2. No One Left Behind is currently doing work on the ground to ensure that the U.S. keeps its promise to interpreters to assist them and their families with migration to the United States. 

3. Muslim Hands has teams on the ground distributing lifesaving aid, including emergency food parcels, blankets, pillows, cooked hot meals, and powered milk to new mothers. 

4. Women for Women International invests in women survivors of war and conflict, providing them with the tools to discover their power.  The organization's conflict response fund delivers urgently-needed resources to women on the ground.  

5. Catholic Charities provides legal services for immigrants in addition to other forms of refugee assistance.