Rescue & Relief: Expanding Operations in Afghanistan

For 15 years OFWI has been working on the ground to support the people of Afghanistan. The return of Taliban rule will have devastating consequences that will reverberate across the country:

• Repression of civil liberties

• Persecution of minorities

• A near total revocation of human rights for women & girls

While international attention fades from western military evacuation efforts at the Kabul Airport, it is crucial that efforts be made to mobilize support to alleviate the suffering of a rapidly and likely sustained deterioration of day-to-day life in Afghanistan and support those most in need.

Taliban control of the government will be unstable. Power dynamics vary greatly on a province-by-province basis. This creates both opportunities and challenges for operating in the country. Ineffective governance, regional power struggles, and a 20-year legacy of freedoms for the people of Afghanistan mean the near-term future is uncertain and on-the-ground realities in Afghanistan will remain in flux.

The populations most vulnerable to the Taliban’s brutality are Christians, Hazaras, Sikhs, women and girls, and LGBTQ people. Additionally, Afghans who have worked with Western governments and institutions (NGOs, media, etc.) face an immediate threat of violence and risk to their lives. 

In response, One Free World International is expanding its Afghanistan operations and building a Rescue & Relief program to help those most in need.

RELIEF & RESCUE: Building a critical two-way lifeline of relief supplies & safe-passage network to refuge

OFWI’s Relief & Rescue model is simple in its aims and complex in its operations: creating a two-way lifeline of relief supplies (humanitarian aid and medical supplies) and smuggling network to get those needing urgent refuge out of Afghanistan. 

OFWI’S RESCUE & RELIEF MODEL

Over the past seven years OFWI has honed the Rescue & Relief model in Iraq & Syria. 

Rescue: building a network of local partners and utilizing OFWI’s long-standing intelligence networks to move people whose lives are at risk to safety. Each segment of the network is vetted and embedded local operators, providing a nimble operation to adapt in real time to changing governance and power dynamics. The core objective of the rescue operation is to get vulnerable people to the border of a neighbouring country and provide refuge. 

Relief: partnering with international logistics partners, refugee camp administrators, and friendly local actors to distribute humanitarian relief and medical supplies. For Afghanistan today, the initial focus will be on transporting relief supplies to border regions where refugee populations will grow. Once operational, navigating evolving power dynamics within Afghanistan will be monitored to get humanitarian supplies to where they are needed inside the country.

PAST SUCCESS

Rescue: OFWI was able to rescue over 600 Yazidi women and children from ISIS sex slavery and reunite them with their families or community in refugee camps. Working with trusted local partners, OFWI identified women and children in captivity and built a network to facilitate their rescue and transport to safety. LEARN MORE in the National Post.

Relief: In Iraq and Syria, OFWI partnered with local Kurdish government officials, the International Red Crescent, global logistics firms, and other NGOs. Food and humanitarian supplies were sourced locally, while medical supplies were procured in Europe and airlifted to the region for distribution by OFWI partners. READ MORE on OFWI.org