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WASHINGTON (AP) – A coalition of organizations working to evacuate people who might be targeted by Taliban rulers in Afghanistan called on Monday for more support from the U.S. government and other nations as conditions change deteriorate in the country.
Members of the AfghanEvac coalition met on a video call with Foreign Minister Antony Blinken to urge additional resources to help tens of thousands of people flee Afghanistan, which is now facing a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis in addition to precarious security Situation after the US exit.
Participants afterward said they were grateful for what the State Department has done so far, including helping organize a number of evacuation flights for U.S. citizens and residents since the withdrawal, but more will be needed in the coming months.
“That the State Department does enough is not enough; we need whole government solutions; We need the international community to strengthen and we need it quickly, ”said Peter Lucier, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and works with coalition member Team America. “Winter is coming. There is already a famine.”
Private groups, particularly those with links to the veteran community, have played an important role in the evacuation and relocation of tens of thousands of Afghans since the US ended its longest war and the government fell to the Taliban. Members of the coalition, which includes around 100 organizations, have campaigned to help people take the scarce flights out of the country and settle in the communities once they reach the United States.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the call included a discussion of “our joint efforts” to assist visa holders and applicants and “facilitate the departure of those people who are at a stage where it is appropriate”.
Around 82,000 people have come to the United States so far as part of Operation Allies Welcome, which the Biden government calls. The Department of Homeland Security said 10% are American citizens or permanent residents.
The remainder were made up of people who had received special immigrant visas for those who had worked as interpreters or in other capacities for the US government; People who apply for one of the visas but have not yet received it; or other Afghans who may be at risk under the Taliban, such as journalists or government officials who are qualified as refugees. Almost half were children.
On Monday, the DHS announced that about 46,000 are still housed in domestic U.S. military bases until they can be relocated by private refugee organizations across the country. Another 2,600 remain at overseas transit points known as “lily pad” while they undergo a security clearance and health screening prior to entering the United States
The State Department separately announced on Monday that some people coming to the US from countries other than Afghanistan as part of the wider refugee program will be temporarily delayed to allow refugee organizations to focus on resettling Afghans. The hiatus would last until Jan. 11 and does not apply to certain categories, including urgent cases, family reunions, and those who have already made travel arrangements.
The AfghanEvac coalition has urged the US government to create more “Lilly Pads” and to work with other nations to create more ways for people to get to safety. It is unclear how many people will need to be evacuated, but organizations have conservatively estimated the number at tens of thousands. Aid organizations say around 300,000 have fled Afghanistan to Iran, including many members of Shiite communities seeking refuge from both the Taliban and attacks by the Islamic State in the country.
Lucier and Shawn VanDiver, a co-founder of the coalition, said, unspecified, that they have raised “specific stumbling blocks” and “bottlenecks” that are preventing people from getting to safety in the US or elsewhere. Both said it would take more time and input from other parts of the government to resolve these issues.
“The answers are complex,” said Lucier. “There are no simple technical solutions for many things.”
The meeting comes amid heavy criticism from some Republicans in Congress attacking a frantic evacuation kicked off by President Donald Trump’s decision to sign a peace deal with the Taliban and set a date to leave, and for what they allegedly have inadequate screening of refugees. You have also accused the government of underestimating the number of American citizens left behind.
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee wrote to Blinken Monday, requesting interviews with more than 30 State Department officials to clarify the “many unanswered questions about the planning – or lack of it – that preceded the withdrawal and evacuation.” This includes the number of American citizens and residents still in Afghanistan and mechanisms for further evacuations.
As of Monday, the U.S. has supported the departure of 435 American citizens and 325 permanent residents as of Aug. 31, including some more recent flights, Price said.
Blinken said on Friday that the US has offered the opportunity to leave Afghanistan for all American citizens and permanent residents staying in the country who wish to leave and have appropriate travel documents. Several hundred Americans are said to be still in Afghanistan, although not all have indicated that they want to leave, Biden government officials said.
The Gulf State of Qatar has agreed to represent the United States in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan following the closure of the American Embassy in Kabul and will provide consular services for American citizens in Afghanistan and handle routine official communications between Washington and the Taliban government.
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Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
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