The IRC (International Rescue Committee) in Phoenix received an increased number of Afghan refugees beginning in August of 2021, after the Taliban regained control of the region. In response to that, we were one of eight RAI (Resettlement, Asylum & Integration) offices who were granted funding to launch a new wellness program, Salamati Rohi, to support our Afghan clients.

In the IRC’s new women’s economic empowerment program, low-income immigrant women learn to manage their families’ resources and navigate the American financial system.

Photojournalist Mohammad Anwar Danishyar discusses his journey and work, from documenting life in Afghanistan to chronicling the stories of those who had to flee.

Violinist Mariela Shaker, who fled Aleppo as a college student, reflects on the war in Syria, the healing power of music, and the contributions refugees make in the countries that welcome them.

President Joe Biden has a chance to rebuild the refugee resettlement program, which has historically enjoyed bipartisan support. The IRC takes you through the steps of the rigorous U.S. refugee vetting and resettlement process.

This National Volunteer Week, communities across the country partner with the IRC to welcome and empower refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of trafficking. In these turbulent times, collective support and dedicated service means more than ever.

For refugees new to the United States, the journey doesn’t end upon arrival. Bonfils from the Democratic Republic of Congo shares how his family is utilizing Uber credits during their first few months in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ritiek (Reh - teek), her mom, and her younger sister were one of the many families forced to flee Afghanistan in 1995. Four years later, they were welcomed in Tucson, Arizona in the summer of 1999. She and her family were the first Afghan refugees to be resettled in Tucson, Arizona.