Lots has happened throughout the month of August, team GB did us proud in the Olympics bringing home 65 medals and our Paralympic athletes have kicked off with 86 medals in the opening days – as always, we are proud as punch of our nation’s teams!
Despite the excitement of the games, there are some scenes in the news that are breaking our hearts and we wanted to share some ways in which we can all help those affected in Afghanistan and arriving in the UK, as well as educating ourselves on the situation.
Self-learning
If you are unfamiliar with what led to the current turmoil in Afghanistan and would like a top line overview, we found this BBC article really helpful. It provides a timeline of events since September 11th, 2001, and what could happen next, as well as an interview with a spokesperson for the Taliban.
Donate
Care4Calais is a volunteer-run charity delivering essential aid for refugees arriving in the UK, northern France and Belgium. Care4Calais is aiming to raise £100,000 to provide the new arrivals with care packages that include clean clothes, shoes and toiletries. If you would like to donate to this charity, there is a link available here.
Government lobbying
With what is going on in Afghanistan at the moment, it’s really important for everyone to come together and support the best we can. There is a petition to sign to let your MP know that allowing 5,000 people to reach safety in the UK this year isn’t enough and more needs to be done. If you would like to sign this petition, the link is here.
Read
Written by Afghan-American author, Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner is a fictional story of two young boys from opposite ends of society in Afghanistan during the rise of the Taliban regime in Kabul. One of them moves to America as a refugee before returning to Afghanistan as an adult to make amends with his past life after the Soviet Union militarily intervened Afghanistan. The Kite Runner is also available to listen to on audible.
Listen
Available on BBC Sounds, Afghanistan under the Taliban takeover, is a recent episode of ‘The Fifth Floor’, with presenter Sana Safi from BBC Pashto sharing insights from her experience in Afghanistan, interviewing the Taliban and her contacts in the country. It is definitely worth a listen.
BBC special
An hour long special available on BBC iPlayer about the conflict in Afghanistan and what the future of the country looks like to the Afghan people is available here, including interviews and reports from Afghanistan.
Film
Osama (2003) available to buy on Amazon is set after the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the restriction of women in public life, the film follows a pre-teen girl that is forced to disguise as a boy in order to find work to support her mother and grandmother.
Podcast
In this educational episode, ‘How the Taliban took Afghanistan’, the Guardian's in Focus podcast provides an in-depth insight into those crucial moments that led to the Taliban's takeover and what the new regime could mean for the people of Afghanistan.
