Biden Admin Must Continue Evacuations in Afghanistan ‘Until Job is Done’

Please see below statement from Refugees International President Eric P. Schwartz:

“The United States must continue its evacuation and rescue of people in Afghanistan to whom we have promised safety until the job is done.

If we fail to do so, we leave behind our Afghan allies. We leave behind women activists, human rights defenders, journalists, leaders of minority communities, and thousands more who will be targeted by the Taliban for believing in our shared values. Every one of them deserves a life of safety and dignity.

The Biden administration must secure new avenues for at-risk Afghans to find refuge. The deteriorating situation inside Afghanistan will likely force hundreds of thousands of severely at-risk Afghans to seek to flee across borders to escape the Taliban. The United States must work now to negotiate humanitarian corridors to facilitate the safe passage of these individuals into neighboring countries, as well as the flow of relief aid back into Afghanistan. These corridors should take shape before the evacuation operation at the airport ends.

Communities across the United States are ready to welcome these Afghans as our friends and neighbors. Mr. President, it’s time to act with bold compassion.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Refugees International Director of Communications Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org or +1 202 540 7029.

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the ongoing evacuation of Afghanistan, on August 24, 2021, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)