An Open Letter to the Afghan Diaspora
August 15, 2022
Kabul fell one year ago today and life changed for Afghans around the globe, in particular for those who served alongside US forces, women and girls, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, civil society and human rights defenders, former members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and other vulnerable populations.
The #AfghanEvac team and coalition member organizations composed of veterans, frontline civilians, and a broad cross-section of America have been doing what we could to help, working together and hand-in-hand with the government to facilitate Afghans relocating and resettling. We’ve worked hard over the past year but it is not nearly enough. I wanted to personally share this note with you today, acknowledging one year since the fall of Kabul.
Nothing we can do will bring back Afghanistan or the way of life enjoyed prior to the Taliban takeover. And nothing can make up for the commitment broken by the US to those who were left behind following the un-conditionalized withdrawal of US and allied forces on August 31, 2021.
To Afghans who have resettled in the U.S. or another allied country: We are so glad you are here and we know that restarting your lives isn’t easy. We want you to know that you are welcome in our neighborhoods, and we are working every day to help make success a little bit easier to realize for those struggling . We want you to be able to achieve your American Dream and we stand with you today just like you stood with us for 20 years. We are committed to continue showing up to help where we can.
To Afghans left behind: You are not forgotten. We think about you every day as we work with coalition member organizations and US government leaders in our efforts to help. We often bring your voices and stories to decision makers and are pressing every single day for our country to meet the enduring commitment we made to you as you stood with us.
You did not deserve to be buried in bureaucracy and process. That wasn’t part of the deal and we apologize that you remain in waiting for your shot at building a life outside of Afghanistan. We are working every day to fulfill our mission and to ensure our government keeps the promises made to you.
The days ahead will be trying and filled with recollections of the last year. Please know that we hear the anger, frustration, and desperation you are feeling, and we are hopeful that soon you will have a light at the end of this uneven and bumpy journey. We hope to welcome you into our communities soon.
Thank you for your steadfast devotion to freedom and to the values we share. Please stay strong, continue leaning on loved ones, and keep the hope.
Shawn VanDiver
President and Founder, #AfghanEvac