On December 1st, the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) held its first Afghan Diaspora Council since opening in the wake of the first wave of Afghan mass migration in 1995, when people fled the country’s original Taliban regime.
The Afghan Diaspora Council will help Afghan refugees “join together and make their voices heard”, said Keith Best, former Conservative MP who has been working with refugees for many years, “there needs to be coordinated action at the UN level to ensure the essential food that Afghanistan needs.”
The Afghan Diaspora Council includes representatives of civil society from Germany, Norway, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, director of the ACAA, said: “Any future negotiation on Afghanistan’s political situation must be inclusive with the diaspora across the world.”
Keith Best (left) and Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi(right)
Afghan refugees have expressed feelings of anxiety about the situation in their home country, especially for the coming winter months. Popal, an Afghan man who came to the UK in July, said his neighbor, who is a teacher living in Kabul, has not had a salary for almost six months, while the prices of winter necessities have doubled.
According to a report by the World Food Programme (WFP), 22.8 million Afghans will face acute food insecurity this winter due to drought, the collapse of public services, and increasing food prices.
Popal’s whole family is still stuck in Afghanistan, months after the Taliban seized power. “It is impossible for them to escape because it takes months to get the documentation from the government”, he said.
An Afghan refugee expressing her concerns over relatives left in Afghanistan
Apart from concerns over the situation in Afghanistan and for their relatives still there, many Afghan refugees are wondering if they will ever go back to their home country.
“It is a major responsibility of a host country like the UK to make Afghan refugees feel welcomed and keep hope that they can go back home one day,” said Keith.
After the launch of the Afghan Diaspora Council, the ACAA distributed over 500 iPhones, 200 iPads, and 50 laptops to newly-arrived Afghan refugees in the UK, who are living in bridging hotels while they wait for more permanent housing.
Afghan refugees have been pouring into the UK since August when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. The ACAA is the only active Afghan diaspora charity in the UK and represents a voice for the UK Afghan community.