From Pangea Onlus to Emergency, how to help Afghanistan
Afghanistan is in the hands of the Taliban and the country is in a state of terror and chaos. Foreign embassies are being evacuated and images from Kabul airport show scenes of panic. US-led forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan after two decades, leaving it in the grip of a political and humanitarian crisis. According to local NGOs, more than 18 million people in the country are in need of help, a number that has doubled since 2020. 75% of those in need are women and children. The world must not turn its back. For those who are looking for a way to help from their computers, here are some of the main initiatives to support Afghans.
How to help Afghanistan
- International Committee of the Red Cross – In an update last week, the ICRC said it had treated more than 4,000 wounded people in Afghanistan since the beginning of August. Some days ago on Twitter it reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan and promised not to reduce its presence in the country. More information on how to help them is here.
- Women for Women International – The group has launched an emergency campaign to help Afghan women and says it is monitoring the situation on the ground. You can support its efforts here.
- Pangea Onlus – The women’s project in Afghanistan has been active since 2003 and has helped many build a life where it seemed impossible, educating them about their rights, training courses, literacy, reproductive health and distributing funds to start a business. More information is available on the official website.
Where can we donate for Afghanistan?
- Afghanaid – The organisation, based in London, provides emergency services in Afghanistan. You can follow its updates on Instagram and support its efforts here.
- Emergency – “The Taliban have known us for 20 years and we expect them to let us continue working,” Alberto Zanin, medical coordinator of Emergency’s war victims centre in Kabul, said in the last few hours. It is precisely the hospital in Kabul that is the centre of reference for the patients visited at Emergency’s health centres and first aid stations in Andar, Barakibarak, Gardez, Ghazni, Gurband, Chark-Logar, Maydan Shahr, Mirbachakot, Pul I Alam, Sheikhabad, Tagab, the clinics inside the male and female orphanages, the Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre in Kabul and the city’s main prisons. To support it, click here.
Where else I can donate to the Afghan people?
- IRC – This group works with thousands of Afghan villages in nine provinces, raising funds to provide aid and resources to Afghan families. Find out how to support them here.
- Save the Children – is providing support to displaced families, although it warns that “some areas are inaccessible to humanitarian aid”. An estimated 800,000 children have been displaced in the last two months. Read more here.
- Rukshana Media – A women-run news organisation named after a girl who was stoned to death by the Taliban. She provided essential coverage during the invasion and provides reliable information that is essential to the population. Donations can be made here.
- ADEP – is mobilising legal experts to help Afghans seek asylum outside the country. The organisation has put together a document with the requirements and routes needed to move to the US, UK and Canada.
- Women’s Regional Network – A digital campaign to raise funds for women’s rights advocates in Afghanistan. The proceeds will go to protect politicians and activists who are facing death threats or have had to flee their homes. You can donate here.
- Baba Mazari Foundation – BMF is raising funds through a verified digital campaign to support displaced Afghans affected by Taliban attacks. You can donate here.
For journalists in Afghanistan
By virtue of their work, Afghan journalists run a high risk of being retaliated against by the Taliban. Several organisations are trying to help, including the Global Investigative Journalism Network and Women in Journalism.
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