In the summer of 2021, the withdrawal of the US and other forces from Afghanistan led to chaos and a climate of intense fear across the country. In August, the Taliban took over leadership causing huge concerns and uncertainty. The world watched as efforts to evacuate people out of the country were shrouded in chaos, and vast numbers of people fled for safety. For people still living in Afghanistan, the reality quickly became that girls were no longer able to safely go to school. Female judges, artists, academics have been forced to live in hiding.
We launched 2 crowdfunding campaigns (1 in the US, and 1 in the UK) which collectively raised over $400,000 in a week (and has now raised over $1million). We also facilitated 57,000 people to write to their MP’s in the UK to ask them to extend the evacuation window, and organised for Afghan leaders to get on major broadcasters in the UK to push their message. At the same time, we sought out and funded key Afghan-led organisations operating in-country, in the UK and the US.
Below is a full list of the organisations we funded with this money, prioritising Afghan-led work wherever possible.
With your support, we funded:
In the UK:
- Baby supplies and prenatal care
- Distribution of clothing and hygiene items in UK hotels
- Casework support for unaccompanied Afghan children already in the UK asylum system
- Community and inclusion activities
In Afghanistan:
- Distribution of food baskets and other provisions
- Temporary medical clinics in newly formed camps around Kabul
- Cash assistance
In the US:
- We funded organisations involved in evacuations
- Funding Afghan leaders who are leading on policy reform and change
- Support for people who are in military bases, on their journey to resettlement in the states
Elsewhere:
- Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care, particularly mental health support.
- Non-food items (clothing, blankets, bedding, hygiene items)
- Accommodation and inclusion programmes
Partners, grants and their activities:
Refugee Trauma Initiative – International – £254,000 – psychological first aid and trauma-informed, culturally relevant support for recently-displaced Afghans in Europe and the Balkans.
War Child – Afghanistan – £30,000 – cash assistance for vulnerable Afghans, support for War Child’s Afghan staff and operations, focus on unaccompanied children.
HumanRights 360 – Athens – 35,000€ – Support for Afghan female judges, activists, lawyers, and their families who are temporarily housed in the government accommodation program awaiting their relocation to the USA and Canada and other countries.
Melissa Network – Athens – 35,000€ – Empowerment resources for the same group of women above; laptops, meeting spaces, safe spaces.
Afghan Healthcare Professionals Network-UK – Kabul – £35,000 – Temporary medical clinics, and food and medicine provision for internally-displaced Afghans.
Aid Box Community – Bristol – £2,000 – Coordinating community relief for new arrivals from Afghanistan. Covering the cost of purchasing appropriate clothing, shoes and toiletries for new arrivals.
Baby Basics – Sheffield – £16,000 – supporting warehouse costs to ensure effective storage and distribution of baby products to mums and babies around the UK.
Young Roots – London – £35,000 – service for young people who travelled to the UK alone from Afghanistan, through casework, advice and support as they navigate the UK asylum system.
Paiwand – London – £35,000 – 1-1 advice and casework for individuals and families in their own language (Farsi, Dari, Pashto) to help in accessing housing, benefits and other welfare services, as well as immediate/short-term support for newly-arrived Afghans in N London hotels.
Singa – France – 40,000€ – Tried and tested temporary housing and inclusion programme in French cities, hosting over 2500 Afghans who fled before Kabul fell.
Mosaic Community Trust – London – £7,500 – Support for newly arrived Afghan women living in hotels. Safe spaces, english classes and wellbeing sessions.
Arian Teleheal – London – £15,000 – Run by Dr Waheed, a NHS doctor who was an unaccompanied child from Afghanistan. Mental health support and guidance to healthcare professionals and organisations in Afghanistan.
Peace of Mind Afghanistan – Kabul – $10,000 – to distribute food baskets, addressing food insecurity for women and children in Kabul, particularly for those who have no income.
Refugee Transitions – San Francisco – $20,000 – Working to break down social and linguistic isolation by providing free education, family engagement, and community leadership programs; This funding is helping them welcome newly resettled Afghan refugees to their community.
Afghans for a Better Tomorrow – US-wide – $25,000 – Advocacy, education, and direct action; an organisation founded by children of Afghan refugees. Advocating for and supporting newly resettled Afghan refugees.
Partnerships for New Americans (PANA) – San Diego – $20,000 – Education, know-your-rights work, advocacy and leadership training. Currently advocacy for newly resettled Afghan refugees at local and federal level, with a focus on unaccompanied minors.
Afghan American Women’s Association – $25,000 – Welcome for newcomers, including help with families’ needs related to school issues, housing application, translation, cultural interpretations, parenting, budgeting, job search, health and nutrition.
Women for Afghan Women – Afghanistan – $100,000 – Essential services for women, children, and internally displaced persons in Afghanistan and are doing everything they can to protect and support staff and clients who still want to get out of Afghanistan.
ISE – USA/Afghanistan – $60,000 – Coordinating with international political and humanitarian bodies, providing real time updates on the situation on the ground and using their expertise to help prepare strategies to get vulnerable Afghan individuals to safety.
AEP – USA/Afghanistan – $20,000 – Collective of civil society leaders with a broad and deep network inside of Afghanistan; focus on assisting families in and those leaving Afghanistan.
Uplift – $241,500 – Evacuation, support in temporary accommodation, and resettlement for Afghans fleeing the Taliban. Uplift’s evacuation efforts and resources for families while they remain in Ecuador and Portugal.
MyPi – USA – $10,000 – Youth-supporting organisation working with newly arrived Afghans through a trauma-informed, mental health lens.
ArtLords – USA/Afghanistan – $15,000 – Originally based in Afghanistan, their current focus is on helping artists in danger in-country, supporting newly resettled Afghan artists, preserving their work in Afghanistan, and providing art therapy sessions to resettled refugees.
Afghan American Foundation – USA – $25,000 – Supporting long-term resettlement, such as language access, literacy, education, job placement, and integration into society.
USA Hello – USA – $25,000 – An information platform that provides practical information about daily life, civic information and policy news and updates. These funds will help them set up information needed by newly arrived Afghans, including translating information to Pashto and Dari.
