Afghan refugees in Boise struggle through U.S. withdraw

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The chaos in Afghanistan is making life more difficult for refugees who've fled to Boise for a better life.

Academics and aid organizations spoke about the crisis, and what's being done to help.

At the International Rescue Committee in Boise, folks are working overtime. A perfect storm of drought, pandemic, and now the American withdrawal from Afghanistan is adding even more stress to their mission to help refugees resettling in the Gem State.

Georgette Siqueiros is in charge of community engagement at the International Rescue Committee. She says it's a very sensitive time for the Afghan families trying to make Idaho their new home.

"We have a few families that have recently come under the special immigrant visa program, a protection program for families who helped the US military in Afghanistan," Siqueiros said.

In fact, more than 18 million people need humanitarian aid in Afghanistan at the moment. And this is nothing new, according to academics.

"This is definitely deja-vu," said Bill Smith, director of international studies at the University of Idaho. "This has been an unfolding situation going back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1970s."

Flights out of Afghanistan are few and far between, which further complicates the evacuation process.

"If it's hard for people who have certain powers for certain privileges, it's gonna be even that much harder for the average person to make it out," Siqueiros said.

It's a situation many say has spiraled out of control.

"Supposedly, we had a mission in Afghanistan to pursue terrorists and that was concluded within a year," said Dale Graden, professor of History at the University of Idaho. "And yet it quickly transformed into state-building."

The IRC just announced a $10 million donation campaign to help displaced Afghans struggling in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal.

"Some people feel like not many people care," Siqueiros said. "That might be changing as the news picks up a little bit. But certainly just sharing something on your social media something about it."

The committee is offering online tools to help aid Afghan refugees and citizens.

ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlwrcWgn5qmXaeyp8HGnpysZZmjeqO7yKycZqukp8Kos8ueZK2goqTCqLSMrqpmr5mptaW%2BwLA%3D