Local Refugee Organizations Receive Influx In Calls As Taliban takes over Afghanistan

Rochester Refugee organizations Keeping our Promise and the Catholic Family Center have been working hard to prepare housing, transportation, and job opportunities for those seeking refuge in Rochester, as the Taliban quickly invaded major cities in Afghanistan. These organizations say they are overwhelmed with calls and applications from hundreds of Afghan people seeking refuge over the last couple of weeks.

Yesterday, the Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital after the government collapsed and the embattled President Ashraf Ghani flew out of the country. A woman from Rochester who has family who lives there spoke with 13 Wham, stating; “We have been in contact with them but the last message I received from my uncle was that he won’t be able to message me as much because he left the house. The big thing for us is are they safe? Where are they going? Where are they finding safety? Everyone is frantic now. They said if they knew they would have left, but no one ever dreamed it would get this bad this quickly.”

Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise, stated; “It’s been the last two, three weeks. The phone has not stopped ringing…We are doing our best to try to get family members, journalists, humanitarian aid workers on an evacuation list that is presented to the state department. We are working through Veterans for American Ideals this list so we can get people out.”

Source: 13 WHAM