Add your name: Protect civilians in Afghanistan and evacuate vulnerable communities immediately.
Dear MoveOn member,
The scenes we're seeing in Afghanistan this week are scenes of war, devastation, and destruction. The loss of lives yesterday—including 13 American Marines and more than 150 Afghans —is yet another devastating moment in a war designed from the onset decades ago to be a "forever war."1 War is never the answer—more bombs and loss of life will not bring peace, only diplomacy can. These scenes may feel new to us, but Afghans have lived this reality day in and day out for decades.
Add your name: The U.S. has a responsibility to support Afghans during this humanitarian crisis.
Yesterday's ISIS-K bombings at the airport and a nearby hotel, along with the Taliban's targeting of people—including human and civil rights leaders, ethnic and religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ people—are exactly why U.S. support of Afghan civilians is urgently needed.2 All Afghans, especially those vulnerable to Taliban persecution, deserve the freedom to live their lives in peace.
Since our founding, MoveOn members have called for the United States to use diplomacy instead of violence and destruction, prioritize human rights and lives, and invest the trillions of dollars spent on war-making in essential services like schools, health care, and child care instead of lining the pockets of large corporations and wealthy investors. Over the last two decades, millions of MoveOn members have taken to the streets, lobbied members of Congress, held town halls and peace vigils, signed petitions, and more to call for peace and an end to U.S.-led "forever wars."
Now, we must follow through with our commitment to protect the most vulnerable Afghans by pressuring our elected officials to do everything they can to ensure safety for as many Afghans as possible.
Our commitment to peace must include:
- Keeping the airport in Kabul open and accessible to all. This is the only lifeline out of the country right now. Hundreds of thousands of people who will be targeted by the Taliban are still waiting for evacuation to safety, where they can start to recover and rebuild their lives.
- Expanding our visa and refugee programs to welcome Afghans. It is our duty to welcome those who are displaced by our occupation.
- Sending humanitarian aid and opposing sanctions. The U.N. estimates that about 42% of the population will face famine-like conditions this year, in addition to dealing with COVID-19 and violence from the Taliban.3 The U.S. must continue to support civilians through aid that the country is now reliant on after decades of war.
Even after two decades of war, the Taliban was able to reassert control in the majority of Afghanistan in mere days. The U.S. created instability that the Taliban, and now ISIS, were able to seize for their own benefit. Now, we must do our part to ensure Afghan civilians don't bear the consequences of our mistakes.
Thanks for all you do.
–Afghans For a Better Tomorrow
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