Aid for Families of Shia Mosque Attack, Kandahar

On Friday October 15th, 2021, At least 60 people have been killed and over 100 wounded after an explosion went off inside a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar. The actual casualty numbers is possibly be much higher than local and international reports.

The explosion on Friday afternoon took place in the Bibi Fatima mosque, the largest mosque for Shia worshippers in Kandahar city, during Friday prayer. Witnesses say they heard 3-4 separate explosions. IS-KP/Daesh, claimed responsibility for this heinous attack on the Shia Muslim, and Hazara community.

Last week, a similar attack took the lives of over 100 worshippers in Kunduz at the Said Abad mosque which was frequented by Shia Muslim, and Hazara community members.

This emergency fundraiser seeks to provide emergency relief to the families of those affected by the terrorist attack. Our Shia Muslim, and Hazara communities are facing extreme threats of violence and persecution at the hands of IS-KP and the Taliban. These atrocities are a grim reminder of the persecution they face.

Afghans Empowered* (www.afghansempowered.org) is seeking to provide support for the families affected by the attacks at Bibi Fatima mosque. Learn Afghan (www.learnafghan.org) is a local NGO in Kandahar who is currently identifying the families affected, and assessing their needs. They are our trusted on-the-ground partners who will handle distribution, logistical management, and track spending. They have access to the cash systems necessary for us to translate dollars into aid. All of this is mutually managed and overseen by Afghans Empowered and Learn Afghan.

Please note, we would not be hosting this fundraiser if we did not have the resources to identify the families, and distribute aid.

Our intention is to provide aid in the form of food supplies, medical expenses, and cash sustenance to alleviate a small fraction of the hardship and devastation we cannot imagine these families are facing. We know this isn't a fraction of what these families deserve which includes: accountability, justice, safety, security, reparations, and punishment for those responsible behind the attacks in Kandahar. However, we pray that our contribution can make the slightest impact to allow the families to mourn their loved ones without the additional stress of supporting surviving family members.

Aid distribution will occur rapidly. Our goal is to support at least 15-20 families, and to transfer donations as soon as possible (ideally within days). We imagine that each family will be provided anywhere from 500USD to 1000USD worth of support to cover humanitarian supplies depending on family size.

If you have any questions regarding our activities and/or would like to communicate with us regarding overseeing the process (if you are in Kandahar yourself), please email us at [email redacted].

Afghans Empowered is a U.S.-based non profit organization, federal EIN 85-3040609.