The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan over the weekend, taking over control of the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday after former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. With the United States withdrawing its troops from the nation, the insurgent group faced little resistance as it captured all of Afghanistan’s major cities.
The Taliban’s hostile takeover of Afghanistan has left thousands of Afghans looking for safe passage out of the country. Many fear retribution for working with the Americans or the Afghan government. Others are terrified of living under the Taliban’s harsh interpretation of Islamic law that has historically oppressed women and used inhumane torture methods to punish crimes. The Kabul airport is in chaos as Afghan citizens try desperately to escape.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is fighting diligently to try to make sure that the United States helps with the protection and relocation of Afghan allies. These allies include refugees working under Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) that served in roles such as interpreters for the U.S. Armed Forces. Their allegiance to American forces over the last two decades make them and their families targets for violence under the new regime.
If you want to make a difference by donating to the IRAP to help refugees find safe passage to secure new homes, Dan Smith’s Double Up Drive is ready to match your donation.
Dan Smith’s Double Up Drive
Dan Smith founded the Double Up Drive charity matching program in 2018 and has been personally running charity matching challenges since 2014. Funders and supporters have come together to raise over $18 million for highly effective charities.
Smith originally recommended IRAP on August 16, as a reliable charity that people could donate to, to help refugees. “Very sad situation In Afghanistan,” Smith tweeted. “If you’re looking to support an organization that is trying to help, I’d recommend @IRAP.” On August 17, Smith decided to take further action, pledging that the Double Up Drive would match all personal donations of $5000 or less for up to $100,000.
Thanks to another generous donor backing the project on August 17, that match figure is now up to $150,000.
If you would like to donate, you can do so directly on IRAP’s website, refugeerights.org. Under the “Designation” tab, be sure to select the “Double Up Drive Match for Afghan Allies” to ensure that your donation is going to the cause and will be matched.
You can also learn more about Double Up Drive and the team behind it by visiting their webpage.
Featured Image Credit: Flickr - World Poker Tour
