Welcome to Episode 16 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and focus on the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

This week, we heard from refugee advocate Anna Segur and U.S. Navy veteran Val Simich about their joint efforts to support humans fleeing conflict zones around the world. After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Val and Anna started supporting Afghans with special immigrant visa applications underway. Through an SIV applicant they were assisting, they came to know Aziza Akbari, an NGO founder who was under serious threat after the Taliban’s takeover because she was slated to begin working alongside Afghan Special Forces. Anna and Val helped Aziza find a lawyer to file her humanitarian parole application. Of the more than 50,000 Afghan humanitarian parole applicants (whose processing fees of $575 per application have netted the U.S. government over $28,000,000) Aziza is one of fewer than 1,000 to be granted parole.

Aziza joined us to share the story of how she came to the U.S., and the helpers who made her escape possible. Her story of hope is a rare one in the post-withdrawal landscape, but we hope it stands as a beacon of light to Afghans still living in darkness under the Taliban.

About the hosts:

Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan allies in August of 2021. You can follow his Instagram @Mikaelcook89.

Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance writer who has covered post-withdrawal Afghanistan extensively, primarily in the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram @BWBailey85 or Twitter @BWBailey85.

For listeners in Afghanistan:                    

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.