Open Society announces a $10m emergency fund for Afghan civilians in peril

NEW YORK — The Open Society Foundations has announced the immediate creation of a $10 million Afghanistan emergency fund to support Afghans in grave danger — including champions of human rights, women’s rights, and journalists — by expanding immediate protection opportunities.

The Afghanistan Emergency Humanitarian Fund will help support sponsorship for humanitarian parole programs in the US that provide a pathway to temporary refuge for those in harm’s way.

It will bolster international relief organisations in their efforts to support Afghan citizens fleeing the Taliban advance. And the fund will aid other efforts to deliver humanitarian relief to internally displaced Afghans and those fleeing to other countries taking them in. 

Open Society has invited other donors to join these efforts to address this humanitarian emergency.

“The Open Society Foundations have long worked in Afghanistan to promote human rights, culture, and freedom of expression,” Open Society Foundations president Mark Malloch-Brown said.

“We remain deeply committed to Afghans and their efforts to help the country advance toward a more open society. We call on funders to join us in our response to this urgent humanitarian crisis. There is truly not a moment to waste.”

www.opensocietyfoundations.org

 

ends