The Perseverance and Stoic Nature of Afghan Refugees

What Afghan refugees are forced to endure, the violence they have witnessed and live amongst, and the hardships they tackle each day, is reflective of their strength. 

With the help of charities like Paiwand, alongside the government responses to the Afghan Refugee crisis, the perseverance of Afghan refugees has been shown.  

Coming to a country like England, in which a different language is spoken, having no job, and being estranged from one's family is an extremely difficult situation to find yourself in. However, this is something refugees are compelled to do - to seek asylum and rebuild their lives in another country in order to secure a strong future for themselves.

The refugee crisis intensified in August 2021 when the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. Afghan refugees were evacuated in the Kabul airlift and put into hotels across the UK and US. However, the trauma and violence they faced is something that will take a long time to recover from. On the 26th of August 2021, evacuations had to slow down due to fears of suicide bomb attacks, resulting in the deaths of 170 civilians and 13 American troops. Those who were flown out of the country were taken to emergency centres in countries such as Spain, Germany, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. 

Currently, the war in Ukraine has reminded us how female refugees have to struggle twice as hard to access basic necessities. Women’s needs are typically more complex than men’s; trying to access clean clothes, sanitary products and items for one’s children can prove difficult. Although the EU has tried to tackle sexism by ensuring women’s socio-economic rights and equal space, gender discrimination is still very present and forces women to fight for their rights while trying to escape violence.  

We often don’t realise how privileged we are to be situated in a safe, wealthy country where we are liberated and live at ease, rather than facing destruction of our lives and country. This is why it’s important we recognise our privileges and invest some free time into helping refugees or charities who give them aid. We are luckier than we know, and ought to be more like these strong and stoic people who, despite everything they go through, still prevail against their hardships.  

REFERENCES USED:

1) Gehi, N. M, ‘From Ukraine to Afghanistan, Women War Refugees Have to Struggle Twice as Hard for Basics’, Available at https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/opinion/from-ukraine-to-afghanistan-women-war-refugees-have-to-struggle-twice-as-hard-for-basics/ar-AAVbCEl (Accessed 17th March 2022) 

2) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58256696 (Accessed 17th March 2022)