GLOBAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ASSISTANCE

The lives of Afghan orphan siblings, one is suffering from a life-threatening disease, and one young woman health worker are in severe danger. Emergency funds are urgently needed to evacuate them to cover lawyer fees, safe house expenses, life support, and transport costs.

 

Maryam and Ahmad* have been orphans since the Taliban killed their father in 2013. Ahmad suffers from a life-threatening disease, and since the fall of Kabul, his medicine stock has been depleting. Ahmad urgently requires medical treatment abroad, and his caregiving sister is being threatened with forced marriage. The siblings have a legal claim for family reunification with their elder brother in Germany.

 

Mina* co-led communal efforts to strengthen literacy programs among women and girls in Afghanistan. She also supported local vaccination campaigns. Mina's husband was employed as an interpreter for the NATO Forces and escaped to Germany in 2017 after receiving death threats. Now Mina’s life is being threatened too. She is in hiding and was recently beaten up by armed militants.

 

Our next steps

Sadly there are many cases such as Maryam's, Ahmad's, and Mina's, in Afghanistan right now. What fills our hearts with hope for these three is that a strong legal case for asylum and family reunification exists due to their guardians/spouses' residence in Germany. Maryam, Ahmad, and Mina are now being represented by one of the most experience asylum lawyers in Germany with a specific focus on Afghanistan-related cases. And everything is prepared for the evacuation of Maryam, Ahmad, and Mina as soon as visas have been issued. Specifically, the funds will be used to pay the German lawyer, provide life support expenses, and cover transport tickets. Your donation can help us now to save the lives of Maryam, Ahmad, and Minda. Please donate and share!

 

About Kite Runners Coalition

Kite Runners Coalition is a collective of individuals and organizations initially brought together by Oscar-awarded Afghan-German Filmmaker, Zamarin Wahdat. The group has supported the safe housing and evacuation of 100+ Afghan women leaders, creatives, and rights activists since the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

 

For the cases of Maryam, Ahmad, and Mina, the German NGO Café Zuflucht, with a decades-long track record of supporting refugees, acts in an advising capacity. GERA, a US-based 501(c)(3) grassroots organization with a mission to restore the dignity, well-being, and safety of those affected by conflicts, will be administering the collected funds. Any unspent funds will be donated to GERA and Café Zuflucht to support their mission to assist refugees and communities affected by conflict.

 

*Names have been altered for the protection

Dear supporters of Maryam, Mina, and Ahmad

On behalf of the families and the supporting organizations, we would like to express our gratitude for your incredibly, generous support. With this message, we would like to share an update with you regarding the situation of Maryam, Mina, and Ahmad, as well as inform you about new specifics of the use of your donated funds.

Thanks to your help a specialized German asylum was instructed to assist the cases — your donations will help cover these legal expenses.

Subsequent to the lawyer’s advice, Maryam has been invited for an interview at the German embassy in Pakistan. Following the interview, additional waiting time is anticipated and your donations will help to cover Mina’s cost of living in a safe house in Pakistan, while she waits for her travel documents to Germany.

Mina and Ahmad’s legal path to Germany continues to be more challenging. They managed to reach relative safety in Turkey; however, Ahmad’s medical situation remains critical and their legal status in Turkey is fragile. Next to continued legal advice, your donations will be used to address Ahmad and Mina’s humanitarian needs in Turkey, such as food, housing, and medical costs.

Your support has been incredibly instrumental but, as you see, a lot of work remains to be done and we are grateful for your continued donations to save the lives of Maryam, Ahmad, and Mina.

Please follow the social media channels of Global Emergency Response and Assistance (@GERA_NGO) Foundation to share the campaign and follow other updates on the organization’s work to respond to the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

With gratitude for your solidarity,

GERA Foundation

KITE Runners Coalition