Planned U.S. Troop Withdrawal Poses Risks to Afghan Civilians

By Eric Schwartz | April 15, 2021

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

“I am concerned about the risks posed to Afghan civilians by a U.S. troop withdrawal tied to a date certain. That was the position of Refugees International in the prior administration, and it remains our view. Setting a deadline for withdrawal without concrete commitments from both the Afghan government and non-state actors will leave civilians awfully vulnerable.

We hope that the upcoming peace talks in Turkey later this month will create additional possibilities for a durable, lasting peace in Afghanistan, and result in concrete commitments to protect the human rights of Afghan civilians, including women and children, ethnic and religious minorities, and returning refugees. We commend President Biden’s commitment to continued humanitarian and development aid to support Afghanistan’s recovery. But we remain concerned about the timing and nature of this planned withdrawal.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinterantional.org or +1 202 540 7029.

Photo: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the Treaty Room in the White House about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan on April 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)