08/15/2024
On the 3rd anniversary of August 15th, 2021 we reflect on the catastrophic impact that Taliban control of Afghanistan has had on our communities both in Afghanistan and outside. While the world may have moved on long ago, the work we do to address the ongoing needs of our communities informs us that the crisis in Afghanistan is far from over.
We are deeply angered and saddened by the Taliban’s erasure of rights, personal freedoms, and opportunities in Afghanistan. What is a nation without its people, and what are people without their rights? Rights to nourishment and health, economic opportunity for financial stability, safety from violence and harm, education for increasing one’s knowledge, skill, and potential, and rights to the self to freely express one’s beliefs, ideas, and values in order to uplift social cohesion through tolerance in diversity- these don’t exist for the people in Afghanistan today. We’re heartbroken over the hundreds of reports we’ve received over the last 3 years regarding grave human rights abuses committed by the Taliban. From the torture and imprisonment of our dear networks of media workers, women’s rights activists, and minority group members, to the dire humanitarian conditions of community members unable to provide basic needs for their families, we’ve witnessed the extent of the Taliban’s horrific brutality in Afghanistan. Life in Afghanistan has become incredibly miserable, forcing many to flee the country in search of safety and opportunity.
The impact of August 15, 2021 has been felt daily, not just for the citizens of Afghanistan, but for those forcibly displaced in foreign countries, as well as those of us who continue to work to help our fellow Afghans as a result of 3 years of continuous crisis. As advocates, activists, organizers, and aid workers assisting Afghan-nationals forcibly displaced due to the political, economic, social, and security issues in Afghanistan, we’ve worked tirelessly for the last 3 years to support our abandoned community members facing severe challenges and crises.
On this day, we call for the international community to take action to protect the rights of Afghans, especially the rights for women and girls to access education, work, and participate in society. We demand sustainable actions to address the economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, including solutions to address the plight of Afghan-refugees facing discrimination and exploitation in neighboring countries. We call for the assistance of foreign governments to support the relocation and resettlement of Afghan refugees, and implement measures to prevent the deportation of Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan, and for non-recognition of the Taliban.
Afghanistan deserves justice and the people of Afghanistan matter.
On behalf of Afghans Empowered and Generation Outside Afghanistan, we share our heartfelt grief with our global Afghan community, recognizing the hardships our people have endured for the last 3 years and more.
