I stay in regular contact with people who are on the ground in Afghanistan. The goal of reuniting families continues to be a constant thread running through my days. If you follow this newsletter you know that the effort to get Judge Wakili’s wife and 2 year old daughter has involved congressional offices, Senator Kelly, the State Department and several NGO’s. Nothing has happened in relation to reunifying families.
What does continue to happen is threats, abductions and murders. This photo was provided to me by one of my Afghani contacts. It shows Taliban arriving at a home looking for a former U.S. ‘collaborator.’ They ransacked the house during the raid and failing to find the person they were after they abducted another family member instead. This stuff happens every day, and I’ve shared this and other communications I have had with State, trying to convince them that the assurances they’re receiving that all’s well over there are simply not true. Focus on Ukraine should not be at the expense of those we’ve left behind at the mercy of guys like those shown in the photo.
The Star had yet another AP story on Sunday that announced the reopening of a University in Kabul. It was another good news piece because both men and women were allowed to attend. Below I’ll share emails I’ve received that tell a wholly different story of life in Afghanistan. It’s more along the lines of what you see in the photo above. We’re doing what we can to keep the Afghan story in front of the media. Without that, it will get swept under the rug and thousands of lives will be lost. Here is a 5-minute story run by The World last week:
https://theworld.org/stories/2022-02-21/6-months-after-evacuation-thousands-afghan-families-are-waiting-reunite
I continue to be in contact with numerous others who have direct connections with people who are stuck in Afghanistan, and in surrounding countries. I’m going to share verbatim some of the emails I’ve received all in the past week – redacting names and any identifying indicators.
"As I answered your Questions it is impossible to discribe all the satuation in one email the satuation is more terrible than what the media say. Taliban are very wild they attack the houses, tarture and kill the people .they revenge those who were working with foriegners even two days ago taliban killed one of our nighbers by name of shamsudin Khanzada on Fabruary 19 and captured two more in kandahar provice beside that they shout and killed three women the same day if you need there pictures I can send. Women jobs, girls school & universities are still closed. Taliban are darkening the faces of people and showing in bazar for humeliation as punishment. Media is not allowed to give reports.
This is the real satuation.
In this satuation I am hidding for from my town although I am afraid that they will find me. If you please do something for us to leave Afghanistan it will save our lives. Even if they evacuate us to the camps befour completing the prosess in a third country like Qater, UAE, Uganda or other it will save us from taliban.
I hope you fell our terrible and dangerous satuation and contact the imigration deportments to do something for us."
And this one:
"Threats: 1. We have recieved several verbal and calls death threats. 2. Taliban invaded my house in Spin boldak Kandahar and took out all goods with themselves 3. Taliban are continuesly searching me but i am hidden in my relatives home 4. I have been injured in a terrorist attak by Taliban in Kabul last year.
- what are the conditions like in afghanistan right now :every individual Talib is the boss of the suprem court.when someone tell them their flaws or weakness they try to kill him or hit him by guns. So it's very cruel and not afferdeble. This kind of act is against the huminity,mconstitution,islame and also internationl rules
- what is the hunger shortage people are facing: there are no jobs to do and Taliban has power and ignorance. They can't control the whole country and don't know the management more Afghans selling their kidneys or even their offspring to find food for themselves
-what is the medical situation or access to helath care: people in Afghanistan don't have enough money for buy bread from the other hand it need lots of money to treat a patient. Public hospitals are under the control of Taliban. They are not professional and day and night they are busy on their ignorance
-what is the situation of access to banking : someone don't have a job or Assets then what is the need for banks. It's means that banking is very weak. About 10 percent banks are even not available or they are paused
-what kind of attacks, threats or dangers are happening: those Afghans who did any kind of job in previous government or they worked with foreign institutes . When Taliban face with them then try to kill them - what kind of things have happened to you personally. Haqqani network a threat 24 hours to me. This network twice ambushed me.I can't live in my own house -what attacks, threats or dangers have happened to others: before those threats were not too much but since Taliban control our country threats are being increased. People who were faced 10 percent with security threats now they are face 90 percent
thank you, for your favor and kindness".
And finally this email:
"First of all I am sorry for being late, it's because of few reasons: first no electricity, no internet and I was also forawy from my place for some days, anyway once again thank you, you all; so much for helping and taking care of us.
Surely I will detail all and what ever you want from me I will report back to you fullfledge and proper.
1- responding to your first question, the candition in Afghanistan right now is so vague and unbearable. Our country is going to farther gloomy darkness, generally our management system, our economic, health, education, agrecultural, cultural all and all are exanimate and going to degeneration.
You may hear outside about our country from the mendicious politations some deceptive words and sentences for the people and country, but infact it's not at all like what they are saying! They are saying something to the world but doing totally opposite of that. Infact media in the country is paralysis it is completely controlled media, all government and private sectors organs, and departments are in the hand of Taliban they called themselves mujjahedin no one else has right to even interfere in the appearances, if you're not from their group your not even a human being in their sight of view.
Where there is no work no job no money no income no business no law for anything and the height of prices of everything is reaching to the pike.
So now someone can image how the life can be offered or bear....?
2- people are really very poor they cannot afford daily mail to their families, when a dollar is equal to 100afs, a kg gas is on 100afs, a litter petrol is on 90afs 24 kg flour is on 2800afs and so on, beside that someone cannot find 100afs in entire day works, and there is no work no business so certainly people are facing starvation and unbearable hunger for a piece of bread 🍞
3- the medical situation is also derived to zero specially governmental section is equal to none, because all able doctors leave the country from the other side government (Taliban) does not have any plan and money for health; and their irregardlees regarding health as well as to all other issues and needs.
People are really in a terrbile condition, they cannot offered to carry their patients to neighbors countries and nor can they treat their patients here in the country properly...
4- Banking: worse banking access and situation in the world, when you are taking some money 💰 from bank you have to wait in line may be days or hours and hours, then you can take out only four-handred USD per period ....
5- Killings, robbery, targeted killings politically killings everytime we are the evedince of all the above mentioned the good example is just feve days back at night time the killing of Eng. Mohamed khan's who is a well-known political figure wife, son and nephew.
Every night they kills and takeout their targeted people from thire homes.
6- Dispossing from all my rights, and I am living in home like in prisoner, and possibly sometimes I will be face to their accountiblity.
7- A Dr. Who is known in the street eyes doctor his young daughter was disappeared at the early evening at the end of the night her corpse was found Infront of the house gate in a bag she was ruthlessly sloghter. And we have this kind of cases frequently.
This was a small image of social and political situation of our country let me present you the situation of SIV visas, to be honest the SIV visa is openly sales in market ten to fifteen thousands USD
The current situation of our country Afghanistan is insociable, insecure and lawless. It has no lawful systematic government, it has a friendship power in which every one of friends group can do anything. Anytime anywhere can anything be happens to us."
You get the picture. Yes, it’s much different than the AP stories we see in the local print media – we left behind thousands of people who are now at the mercy of the terrorists we helped to install about 20 years ago, and who are now killing the people who defended our work there. If you’d like to listen to some BBC podcasts that describe the situation from a series of angles, this link will take you to them. It’s upsetting, but evidently I haven’t convinced the right person at the State Department yet that their delays have been deadly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvl0
Donations continue to be welcome. No clothes please – we have plenty. Household goods, sewing machines, pressure cookers, plates, pots and pans. The reason laptops are important is Taliban somehow tracks cell phone numbers so the people have to keep changing them for security reasons. Laptops are an effective way for people in Tucson to communicate with their family back home. And they of course help the refugee population do online studying, learning English and other skills so they can get themselves established here.
One quick note – people have asked if we’re accepting donations for Ukrainian refugees. Not at this time. We have not received any refugees from Ukraine, and have not received word about when or if we will. Right now most appear to be finding refuge in friendly Eastern European countries. Let’s hope that conflict ends quickly and they can all return home safely.
|