Welcome to Episode 5 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Our guest this week is Alexa Greenwald, who works with Uplift Afghanistan Fund to assist Afghans who have been displaced after the U.S. withdrawal. In the episode, Alexa talks about the struggles facing Afghans who have fled to Pakistan seeking processing of their Priority-1 and Priority-2 referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Uplift Afghanistan Fund, started by Afghan women hoping to offset the crisis created by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, is pivoting to help. Uplift works to provide education, food distribution, and skill building for refugees stranded in Pakistan, where they are vulnerable to extortion, harassment, and the threat of deportation.
Alexa also gives listeners a gripping play-by-play of how her former company, Sayara International, helped evacuate over 1,200 Afghans between August and December 2021 from both Hamid Karzai International Airport and Mazar-e Sharif. With so many still stranded in their homeland and in third-countries, Alexa believes it is more important than ever to find ways to support Afghans.
Our episode concludes with a letter written by lawyer Ziaullah, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. Having worked alongside U.S. government entities and held prominent roles in society, Ziaullah was at direct risk when the Taliban came to power in August 2021. Though Ziaullah moved to Pakistan to undergo processing for his Priority-2 referral to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program eight months ago, the processing of his case has yet to begin. He fears that his life is at risk both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
About Uplift Afghanistan Fund and Alexa Greenwald:
Follow Uplift Afghanistan Fund on Twitter @UpliftAFGfund or Instagram @upliftafgfund, or visit their website, www.upliftafghanistan.org. Contact Alexa at Alexa@upliftafghanistan.org
About the hosts:
Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan Allies in August of 2021. You can follow his Instagram or Twitter @Mikaelcook89.
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance writer who has covered post-withdrawal Afghanistan extensively, primarily in the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter @BWBailey85.
For listeners in Afghanistan:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, theafghanistanprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
