IsraAID
On Monday, a group of 87 Afghan refugees, who in October were rescued by Israeli NGO IsraAID, finally got to meet those who helped them flee following the Taliban’s violent takeover of Afghanistan in August after US forces withdrew from the country.
The 87 refugees are part of a larger group who were rescued from Afghanistan by the Israel-based humanitarian group together with a number of activists, leaders, and donors, including Israeli-Canadian philanthropist Sylvan Adams. The group are currently being held in a resort near Albania’s capital city of Tirana, while they prepare to begin the process of resettlement in Canada.
“From the moment this group of refugees left Afghanistan to now, IsraAID’s primary focus has been ensuring they have everything they need to embark on the difficult journey of building new lives for themselves,” said Yotam Polizer, IsraAID’s CEO.
With IsraAID’s support, the Afghan group recently opened a community school at the refugee centre where they are currently residing refugees, teaching English, French, vocational skills, photography and more to adults and children. Polizer added: “Witnessing first-hand as the group has built a thriving community in Albania, supported by IsraAID’s team, has been humbling. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our partners and supporters in this ongoing process, and we hope that before long the group will be granted final approval to travel to Canada for long-term resettlement”.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, Afghans now make up one of the largest refugee populations in the world: by the end of 2021, 2,221,828 Afghan refugees were registered in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Last week, Israel announced that it had donated $500,000 to the United Nations for food, medical aid and other assistance for Afghan refugees in Tajikistan.
