(Photo : Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NM - NOVEMBER 04: Children play with a ball as they walk with a group of media and military service members in an Afghan refugee camp on November 4, 2021 in Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The Department of Defense and US Department of Homeland Security's initiative, Operation Allies Welcome, aims to support and house Afghan refugees as they transition into more permanent housing in the US.
Thousands of Afghan children that were evacuated to the United States are still struggling to adjust to their new lives.
According to reports, over 200 of the 1,425 Afghan children that were evacuated have not reunited with their parents or relatives. They haven't also found sponsors that can take them in while they try to reunite with their loved ones.
Those that are interested to sponsor child refugees from Afghanistan go through a rigorous interview process and not everyone turns out to be qualified.
As such, over 200 children are still under the custody of the government. And this reportedly adds to the trauma that they experienced after they were forcefully evacuated from their families.
Afghan children mourning the death of their loved ones
Ferishta, who is taking care of her niece and nephew, detailed the tragedy that the minors injured. After they were separated from their parents, Mina and Faisal first ended up in Germany where they received treatments for their injuries at Landstuhl Germany and Walter Reed Medical Center.
Shortly after, they spent 20 days at a shelter in Virginia that specifically caters to unaccompanied minors. Their aunt Ferishta, who has been living in the United States got them out and they have been living together ever since.
But while Mina and Faisal are still struggling to adjust to their new lives, the siblings found out that their mom died in the recent attacks in Afghanistan. They are now forced to mourn her passing.
The siblings do not also have any idea where their dad is. And the fact that their names and birth dates are incorrect in all the official documents just made it more difficult for them to be reunited with their dad.
Afghan refugees pleads with Joe Biden, his administration
Ferishta is urging Joe Biden and his administration to prioritize the reunion between the refugees and their families back in Afghanistan. She acknowledged that her niece and nephew are still lucky to have a home and a relative, but hundreds of other children do not enjoy the same benefits.
"All those children who made it here without parents. I can feel them, every day that I am living with my niece and nephew, how much they are suffering," she said via CNN.
Two teenage boys named Ramin and Emal were also separated from their parents.
In August, they tried to flee Afghanistan with their respective families, but only the two of them managed to cross the border. They families are still in Kabul, and they couldn't help but worry about them every day, according to KCRA.
Even though Ramin gets to talk to his parents via video call, he still can't help but worry about them. He wants nothing more than to be reunited with his parents, but it's impossible to return to Afghanistan especially during this time.
Talibans are still taking over Afghanistan
The Talibans are still taking over the country and they have also been posing threats to the economy and livelihood of locals.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Taliban also dissolved Afghanistan's election commission because they don't think that there's any need for it, according to Al Jazeera.
Related Article: Afghanistan on the Brink of Humanitarian Catastrophe; Children Becoming Malnourished Due to Economic Issues
