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Some Afghan refugees find relief in the Mid-South
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Memphis will soon see Afghan refugees who are getting help from the resettlement organization World Relief Memphis.
They are people who worked alongside the U. S. military in Afghanistan.
The images coming out of Afghanistan are heartbreaking. Desperate people are trying to get out of the country taken over by the Taliban. Some of those families and individuals will be heading to Memphis and welcomed by World Relief Memphis.
âOur office receives those families at the airport and helps them find housing, a job, English classes, and helps them in community connections around town,â said P.J. Moore, executive director of World Relief Memphis.
This story aired on WMC Channel 5 on August 20, 2021.
Some Afghan refugees headed to the Mid-South as evacuations continue
MEMPHIS, Tenn. â As Afghan refugees continue to flee their country following the Talibanâs takeover, U.S. military evacuations continue.
Refugees will settle in areas across the globe, and some are even coming to the Mid-South.
Of the thousands of families seeking a new life as they flee the chaos in Afghanistan, at least two are headed to Memphis.
This story was originally published on Fox13 News on August 24, 2021.
Memphis agency prepares to receive Afghan refugee families
A Memphis refugee resettlement agency is advocating for the city to take in more Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. government during its two-decades long war in the country.
At least two families are already expected to arrive here in the next few weeks, says PJ Moore, head of World Relief Memphis. The families are some of the thousands eligible for what are known as Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). Applying for one is reserved for Afghans who provided military or diplomatic missions with services such as translation, but it has historically been a drawn-out, bureaucratic undertaking, leaving thousands in vulnerable situations while they wait.
This story was published on August 19, 2021 for WKNO.
For many Afghan refugees, the struggles donât end when they reach U.S. soil
BY ANITA CHABRIA, SARAH PARVINI
Here in Arden Arcade, a Sacramento neighborhood known for low rents in run-down apartments, Afghan refugees stressed that the United Statesâ obligations to help those who furthered the U.S. mission should not end when migrants land on American soil â as many felt it had for them.
From there begins a long journey often filled with hardship, from the red tape of receiving a Social Security number, signing up for social services and finding housing, to the disillusionment for many educated professionals of suddenly finding themselves at the bottom of the economic and social ladder, isolated by language and culture and often surrounded by crime, prejudice and need.
Even before the current crisis, some felt abandoned by a government that they believe delivered less than expected.
‘Nobody wants to live in that situation’: Local Afghan refugee watches news coverage of home country
“There are explosions. Explosives in schools, mosques; nobody wants to live in that situation.”
DURHAM
Milad Ghaznavi, 18, was reunited with his family here in Durham in January of this year. A student enrolled in World Relief Durham’s Refugee and Immigrant Youth Services (RIYS), he was interviewed by ABC11 to share his perspective on what is happening in Afghanistan and how it impacts families like his, here in Durham.
Watch Milad’s interview on ABC11 HERE
Learn about how to help our Afghan allies with World Relief Durham HERE.
Here’s how you can help Afghan refugees in Sacramento
BY MIKE DUFFY
SACRAMENTO, Calif. â Americans are more concerned than ever about what will become of Afghans fleeing their country. In truth, many could end up in the Sacramento area. Itâs one of the most popular locations for Afghan immigrants.
Kerry Ham is the director of World Relief Sacramento. It is an organization that works with the government to settle refugees. He knows firsthand why many Afghans choose Sacramento.
âIn resettlement, people go where their community is. And as many people know, one out of every nine Afghans in the United States come to the general Sacramento area,â Ham explained.
Learn what you can do to help Afghan refugees in Sacramento >>
Local Afghan Families Worry For Loved Ones Back Home: âI Donât Know If He Is Alive Right Nowâ
BY VELENA JONES
âNot only do they need to flee somewhere to be safe, but they need to rebuild their life and you just donât do that overnight. So, itâs so vital our services to secure them housing, to help cover the first couple months of rent, expenses, get them groceries, get them navigating our medical system, get them in school,â explained Vanassa Hamra, spokesperson for World Relief Sacramento.
Since 2016, World Relief Sacramento has resettled 2,327 families. Their Modesto branch has resettled 1,426 in the same time frame. The Sacramento branch was looking to bring even more people to the area when violence erupted.
âWe had 17 flights scheduled to arrive two days before August 16 when the government fell. That represents 84 individuals that are in limbo that should be here,â Hamra explained.
See the full story on CBS Sacramento.
Learn what you can do to help Afghan refugees in Sacramento >>
Resettlement agencies gear up as Afghan refugees arrive in NC. Hereâs how you can help.
DURHAM
It was a busy afternoon earlier this month as new workers moved in and employees carried boxes and paperwork from one room to another of the two-story John OâDaniel Exchange building on the edge of East Durham.
World Relief Durham, a local branch of the national, faith-based, refugee resettlement agency, was expanding in an unprecedented way.
After major cuts in federal funding for refugee agencies during the Trump administration, President Joe Biden approved $100 million in emergency aid for Afghan refugees July 24, just as the last U.S. troops trickled out of Afghanistan.
Adam Clark, the director of World Relief Durham, said the closest thing to what resettlement agencies like his are experiencing happened in the late 1970s after the Vietnam War.
âThis isnât a typical situation for refugee resettlement evacuation,â Clark said. âSudden flights coming into military bases is not typically how the process works.â
See the full story in The News&Observer here.
Learn how you can Help Our Afghan Allies with World Relief HERE.
âEvery single Afghan just lost their soulâ: NC families fear for safety of loved ones still in Afghanistan
WAKE FOREST N.C. (WNCN) â Right now, there are about 1,200 Afghan refugees already in the United States, but as many as 3,500 could arrive in the coming weeks with some to the Triangle.
For Afghan families living in central North Carolina, all they can do now is watch as their home country is taken over by the Taliban with concerns mounting for those left behind.
âEvery single family either inside Afghanistan or outside Afghanistan,â Frozan Sahel, who fled to the United States six years ago, said. âEvery single Afghan just lost their soul.â
See the full story on CBS17 here.
Learn how you can Help Our Afghan Allies with World Relief Durham HERE.
Raleigh, Durham to expect arrival of Afghan refugees in coming weeks, nonprofit says
In the days following the collapse of the Afghan government and the mass exodus of Americans and US-allied Afghans, World Relief Durham is preparing to welcome in an influx of refugees in the coming weeks.
The group works with Afghan refugees as they either select or are assigned Raleigh and Durham as resettlement options under the U.S. Department of State’s special immigrant visa program.
“It’s been painful to watch,” said World Relief Durham director Adam Clark. “We’ve all seen the very scary footage of people grabbing airplanes and trying to escape cities in long lines of cars. This is certainly an unusual situation, an exceptional set of circumstance where evacuation is really necessary.”
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