The United States has begun a humanitarian evacuation and is relocating a group of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants to Los Angeles.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Los Angeles is working alongside communities and partners to support Afghans living in Southern California and ensure a warm welcome for those soon to arrive in the coming weeks.

The IRC has resettled more than 16,000 Afghan SIV recipients since Congress established the program in 2006, and is committed to ensuring that these families are given a chance to seek safety and rebuild their lives in the United States. In recent months, the IRC in Los Angeles has welcomed more than 90 Afghan newcomers, with more on the way, and many families are arriving in our community on very short notice. 

Here are four ways you can help:

  1. Donate locally to the IRC in Los Angeles. Please consider donating or becoming a monthly donor at any amount to help our local, Los Angeles-based staff continue to serve refugees from Afghanistan and other crisis zones around the world. Rescue.org/GiveLA. You can also donate urgently needed household items directly to recently arrived refugees through our Amazon and Target wish-lists. E-Gift Cards are also greatly appreciated. 
  2. Welcome a refugee. Housing remains one of our most urgent needs in Los Angeles. Open your home as a place of refuge for emergency temporary housing with IRC’s partner Airbnb.org’s Open Homes Program. Or are you a landlord willing to rent to recently arrived refugees? Contact us at [email protected].
  3. Volunteer your time. If you can contribute your time, please take a look at our available volunteer opportunities. Or if you can help in other ways, such as organizing a donation drive or donating gently used furniture, please contact [email protected].
  4. Advocate and raise your voice. Call and email President Joe Biden and your Members of Congress and demand they protect vulnerable Afghans in need of safety, including those who risked their lives to serve with the US. Take action at Rescue.org/Act.

We're grateful for your support!

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