The United States and other nations helped evacuate some 120,000 Afghans from their country after the Taliban took over last August. In the months since, tens of thousands of former Afghan commandos, translators, journalists and charity workers, as well as their families, have made their way abroad.
The vast majority of them have gained entry to the United States under a decade-old special immigrant visa program open to military interpreters and others who worked on government-funded contracts. A separate refugee admission program appears to have granted admission to just a tiny percentage of those who applied.
SEE ALSO: Few Afghan Refugees Relocating to US Under 'P-2' ProgramIn Afghanistan, the situation remains desperate. Scores of Afghans are still trying to relocate to a safer home. A Gallup survey this month indicated that some 94% of Afghans rate their lives poorly enough to be considered “suffering,” with some three quarters of respondents saying they cannot afford to buy food for their families.
SEE ALSO: Poll: Nearly All Afghans Say They Are SufferingMany Afghans who have successfully navigated the chaotic immigration process now face the challenge of starting over in an unfamiliar new country. VOA reporters have followed several families now trying to start over in a new place, navigating strange customs and confusing bureaucracies, while worrying about loved ones back in Afghanistan.
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New Afghan Refugees in California Face Difficult Rental Market Afghan Commander Relocated to US Hopes to Reunite His FamilyAfghan Family Adjusts to Life in US Without Their Mother Afghan Journalists Relocated to US Hope to Return to HomelandAfghan Refugees in Albania Start Temporary Classes for Their ChildrenAfghan American Family in Florida Helps At-risk Afghans, Evacuees