Direct Action to Support the Afghan Evacuation
On August 23, 2021 the Veterans Collaborative joined 70 organizations with the Coalition to Evacuate Our Allies to sign onto a letter requesting a meeting to discuss our commitment to our Afghan allies. The White House committed to engaging the Coalition to allow our community to effectively support the safe and appropriate evacuation and settlement of our Afghan allies, understanding that the support networks our organizations have created are a critical component of the mission.
The letter noted that any failure “to meet our obligations to these Afghans would not only be a national security risk—harming America’s reputation abroad and eroding the trust in our armed forces that is critical for future operations—it would also condemn veterans and survivors of the conflict in Afghanistan to a lifetime of moral injury.”
We recognize that supporting the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans is a meaningful step individuals and organizations can take toward preventing and treating moral injury in the military and veteran communities. During virtual summits, several participants expressed an interest in supporting Afghan refugees.
Leveraging and building on existing resources and working to align organizations to allow for maximum impact is one of the Veterans Collaborative’s core principals––we encourage those who want to be a part of the effort to continue reading to learn more about existing efforts and how you can get involved.
association of wartime allies
The Association of Wartime Allies (AWA) has served as the preeminent advocate for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) eligible individuals since 2019. AWA offers interactive, real-time support and education to SIV principal applicants to enable them to navigate the complexities of the SIV process.
AWA estimates the SIV backlog has quadrupled since August 2021, with the most recent State Department data demonstrating a dire situation––the current pace of SIV relocations suggests this backlog would take more than 31 years to process if maintained.
Since August 2021, AWA has partnered with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to report on the status of SIV-eligible individuals left behind after the US withdrawal of Afghanistan. You can review the reports below and visit their website to learn more and take action.
Special immigrant visa call for Cooperative action
The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program represents the promise made to Afghans and Iraqis who fought with American troops. The Truman Center made recommendations in the early days of the Biden Administration on how to improve the SIV system, which you can review below. Learn more about the Truman Center’s efforts here.
Coalition to Evacuate Our Allies
Evacuate Our Allies is a coalition of trusted human rights, religious and refugee organizations working alongside veterans and frontline civilians to evacuate at-risk Afghan allies to safety. It was formed with a mission is to ensure the rapid evacuation and rescue of vulnerable Afghans at risk of persecution from the Taliban, and their prompt resettlement in the United States.
Evacuate our Allies is aligned with the #AfghanEvac coalition, whose 30+ partner organizations are directly coordinating ground support and logistics, chartering planes, advocating for landing rights at bases and in countries, informing legislators, and sharing information. The coalition built and coordinates the mechanism for cooperation between US government agencies and private groups and is expanding its coalition every day to reduce chaos and improve outcomes.
#AfghanEvac is looking for volunteers with specific skillsets. Follow the link below if you're an individual interested in providing some skills-based volunteer work for the #AfghanEvac Core Team or members of the coalition. If you are a part of an organization or effort working to save lives in Afghanistan, care for folks during their journey, or helping get folks settled once they make it out––we encourage you to join #AfghanEvac to be added to their daily coordination calls, where the critical mass of organizations share information.
The coalition has been facilitating connections, sharing information, and de-conflicting activities to unlock solutions with the unified objective of saving as many lives as possible under a shared set of commitments. In 2026, the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition prepared Observing Five Years Since the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan with policy and messaging recommendations for allies.
Battle Buddies
Sign up here to ensure no Afghan ally stands alone. Sign up here if you have an upcoming court or appointment date.
AfghanEvac and IAVA have launched Battle Buddies to support our wartime allies going through the immigration processes. No one who stood with us in war should have to stand alone in court. Battle Buddies brings veterans, advocates, and everyday Americans to courtroom doors – standing quietly, legally, and deliberately to witness and affirm that our promises still stand.
Human First Coalition
The Human First Coalition is a team of volunteers assisting American Citizens and allies to reach safety in the aftermath of the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan; the organization is part of the #AfghanEvac Coalition.
On September 29, we hosted a Direct Action Info Session with Hanna Tripp and Jordan Jones on Sponsoring Afghan Humanitarian Parole Applicants.
Hanna and Jordan's work puts them in close contact with individuals working to safely evacuate people from Afghanistan; they spoke to difficulties being encountered and some of the barriers to be overcome. Humanitarian parole is one of the only avenues for at risk individuals in Afghanistan to come to the United States––it is a temporary form of relief and relies on the discretion of the USCIS officer reviewing an application.
They identified a desperate need for sponsors and obtaining humanitarian parole, a key step in the evacuation process for thousands of Afghans. Please see the FAQ for more information on what sponsorship entails for individuals and organizations.
Welcome.US
You can help support the growing movement to help our new Afghan neighbors start new lives here once they’ve arrived by visiting welcome.us to register your support, learn how to get involved, and get connected to organizations working to help meet needs:
Becoming a Citizen Guide is a powerful and direct way to support Afghan newcomers. This program matches volunteers with green card holders who are preparing for the citizenship exam.
Airbnb.org is partnering with resettlement agencies to fund temporary stays for 20,000 Afghan refugees. Hosts can help even more people by offering short-term stays for free or at a discount. Even if you’ve never hosted on Airbnb, anyone with space available, from a private room to an entire home, can offer to temporarily house refugees. Sign up as a host here.
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest is one of many local organizations partnering with Welcome.us––they are working locally to support refugees before and after their arrival in the United States, aiding with community integration, and providing essential items and services. They are also a part of the Veterans Collaborative. The most urgent need they’ve identified for refugees settling locally is specific to housing.
If you have a separate space with a private bathroom––such as a rental property, in-law apartment, vacation home, etc.––in the greater Boston/MetroWest area that can be made available for an incoming family they are supporting, please click here.
If you are able to provide financial assistance to support the housing and other needs of these incoming families, please click here to make a contribution––they a match up to $15,000, so you can have twice the impact.