From mattresses to halal food, U.S. refugee groups race to aid arriving Afghans

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Reuters) – When U.S. Marine Corps veteran Luis Gonzales is loading donated supplies for newly arrived Afghan families in Houston, he can usually pack everything into his truck and complete delivery in a single trip.

But his routine changed a few weeks ago when the US began its hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan. While the US government did not say how many Afghans were evacuated to the United States, refugee groups say thousands have arrived across the country, with more expected.

Gonzales, 31, and other veterans are supplying mattresses, televisions, laptops, and American flags to growing numbers of families on short notice. They also offer gift certificates to a local market selling halal foods made according to Muslim nutritional standards.

Refugee resettlement organizations and veteran groups strive to help arriving Afghans as tens of thousands flee their homes in a massive airlift through the United States and other Western nations.

A particular focus is on evacuating Afghans who have applied for the US Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which is available to those who supported US forces during the two decades of war in the South Asian nation.

Lawyers estimate that 80,000 Afghan SIVs and their family members and other refugees will need to be evacuated. A White House official said Tuesday the United States has evacuated more than 82,000 people, including Afghans, US citizens and foreigners, since August 14.

This week, Gonzales expects to visit seven families who recently entered the United States through the SIV program. Although SIV applicants are not required to participate in the US resettlement program, most use these resources to adapt to American life.

Resettlement groups typically have at least two weeks to prepare for incoming refugees, including renting and furnishing apartments and stocking refrigerators with groceries, but that schedule was put on for days or even hours amid the chaos of the U.S. evacuation in Kabul shortened.

Gonzales was posted to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan in 2010. Today he volunteers for the Houston-based veterans organization Combined Arms, also because he felt obliged to stand up for Afghans who supported the US military.

“After serving together, we’re basically family now. We feel with them, we want to do more,” he said.

According to the US State Department, Texas is one of the top target states for SIV holders, second only to California. Since 2008, around 78,000 Afghans have received visas under the SIV program.

Trump cuts

Cuts to the U.S. refugee program under former President Donald Trump have made it harder to help arriving Afghans, some resettlement groups say. These organizations were forced to downsize and close offices as funding dried up. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has increased the number of refugees this year, but some agencies are still recovering.

Many of the Afghans with SIV go to Texas upon arrival in the United States, but a larger proportion have been directed there in recent days as relocation agencies in California and Virginia struggled to find shelter for them quickly, according to Garrett Pearson, director at World Relief North Texas helping refugees.

Since the US evacuation began in mid-August, 35 Afghan families have arrived in the Fort Worth area through the group’s program, with another 20 planned for this week, he said. Afghans are also moving to Austin, Dallas, and other cities.

Kerry Spare of YMCA International Services in Houston said her organization has helped shelter about 40 Afghans in the past two weeks and expects more to join in September.

She said they will arrive with less than a day’s notice, even if flights are arranged by the United Nations.

“You’re not giving us time to prepare.”

Spare said the YMCA has the resources to handle August arrivals but would be tested if the number increased.

LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE

Refugee Services of Texas, the state’s largest relocation agency, welcomed 312 Afghan SIV owners and their families between August 1 and 23. Sometimes they were given just five hours notice, said Ashley Faye, the group’s development director.

“That doesn’t give us time to get an apartment, so it’s really just an emergency shelter right now,” she said.

Her organization is asking for hotel vouchers and people letting Afghans stay in empty Airbnb (ABNB.O) rental units, she said. It also solicits donations and publishes Amazon (AMZN.O) wish lists for arriving families.

Groups in Texas say there has been a robust response.

“We just saw an outcry of support,” Pearson said, noting that religious groups are being strengthened.

While efforts to evacuate Afghan SIVs are heavily supported by both parties, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has spoken out against the relocation of refugees in the past. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Another seasoned volunteer at Combined Arms, Cress Clippard, said bringing Afghans to Houston who helped the US government hadn’t been controversial.

“Everyone likes the idea that people who fought for us get a chance to become Americans,” he said.

Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional coverage from Steve Holland; Adaptation by Ross Colvin and Paul Simao

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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