With the sudden American withdraw from Afghanistan the country was plunged into a world of chaos and terror. Much like our withdrawal from Vietnam, many people scrambled to get on the planes out of the country. They feared for their lives! Many were people who assisted the US in our war, serving as interpreters, guides and even maintenance. Many made it on, yet the majority were left behind. Of those who did make it onto the planes, many had to leave their family members behind.
Life under the Taliban was hard. They persecuted the country’s few religious minorities. They banned music and TV. They required men to grow beards. But it was women who fared the worst.
Girls older than 8 were prohibited from going to school. Women were barred from most jobs and forced to wear a head-to-toe covering called a burqa in public. Many Afghans worry these harsh conditions will return with the Taliban's return to power.
During the past 20 years, the U.S. has spent nearly $800 million to promote women’s rights in
Afghanistan. Though progress has been uneven; girls and women now make up about 40 percent of Afghan students. They’ve joined the military and police, held political office, and more all nearly impossible under the Taliban. Now all of that is in jeopardy. The Taliban have already banned girls’ education in some areas. Jones, an Afghanistan expert, agrees that the Taliban takeover puts all those gains at risk. (1)
In 2021, violence in Afghanistan intensified and spread through the country. Since January 2021, more than 550,000 Afghans have been forcibly displaced. The impact of the conflict on women and girls has been particularly devastating. Since May 2021, nearly 390,000 Afghans have been displaced within the country – 80 percent are women and children. Nearly 6 million Afghans have been driven out of their homes and their country by conflict, violence, and poverty. The vast majority of refugees from Afghanistan are living in Pakistan and Iran, which continue to host more than 1.4 million and 780,000 registered Afghan refugees respectively. (2)
The United States is slated to receive 95,000 of these refugees, by September of 2022, of this number California is expected to receive 5,225 Afghan evacuees, the most of any state. This group includes some Afghans who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan and applied for the Special Immigrant Visa. More than half of Afghans who have been brought to the states helped the U.S. government or are related to someone who did — that includes both SIV applicants and those who did not apply to the program, an official said. It also includes a group called Parolees, these refugees are coming without papers or previous screening, yet are fleeing for fear of being killed if they stay. They are being housed on the military bases until their status can be cleared up. (3)
All this research led me to the study of pastoral care for persons suffering from trauma. “Judith Herman writes; “dramatic events are extraordinary not because they occur rarely but rather because they overwhelmed the ordinary human adaptations to life”. A simple definition of trauma might be; an inescapable, stressful event that overwhelms people’s coping mechanisms.” When people face intense fear, helplessness, loss of control, and the threat of annihilation and when these feelings persist for more than a month PDST becomes the chosen diagnosis. Witnessing horrific events can also cause trauma: watching helplessly as loved ones die, or listening in fear of one’s mothers and or siblings getting beaten, can trigger a traumatic reaction. (4)
Four agencies have stepped up to help resettle these refugees Episcopal Migration Ministries, Lutheran Social Services, Islamic Relief USA, No One Left Behind. They provide transportation for daily tasks, such as trips to the grocery store or job interviews, temporary and more permanent housing, and teaching. In our area there is the IRC, The International Refugee Center, which assist with the resettlement of refugees here in the valley. The Central Valley is expected to receive a large portion of the refugees as we already have a large Middle Eastern community in our area. So, where is this all going? What can we do to assist?
Volunteer to help resettled refugees: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is asking for volunteers to help refugees upon arrival with airport pickups, meal assistance, mentorship, tutoring and more.
Take up a challenge: Women for Women International says a "generous member of our community" will match up to $500,000 in donations for its Afghanistan program.
Email the White House: The International Rescue Committee has an email form through which you can urge the Biden administration to take immediate steps to ensure "vulnerable Afghans have pathways to safety." The group is also asking for donations.
Be a friend and help them to feel safe.
When you come across one of these refugees, remember they are not here vacationing, as with any immigrant or refugee, there may very well be trauma involved. You don’t need to be a councilor or professional to work with them, just be a friend and remember: every traumatic reaction needs to be treated as valid, regardless of how the event that induced it appears to anyone else. The best we can do is to listen to their stories, validate their experiences, and offer a place of safety for them to live and heal.
Sources
1) https://upfront.scholastic.com/SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
3) “How to help Afghan refugees: 3 organizations providing housing, transportation, and other necessities” by Tori B. Powell, August 27, 2021, CBS News
4) Bearing the Unbearable, by Deborah Van Deusen Hunsinger, Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing, 2015
Deacon Amy Larsen serves at St. James Episcopal Church in Sonora and is a member of the EDSJ Immigration Commission (SJRAISE).
