The International Rescue Committee (IRC), in partnership with The Independence Fund, has announced the launch of a Virtual Afghan Placement and Assistance (VAPA) program.
According to the IRC, this initiative will provide remote program support, including direct assistance, to Afghan parolees who independently departed Safe Havens and have not yet been able to access resettlement support services.
Through VAPA, Afghan nationals who entered as parolees and are not assigned to a Resettlement Agency will receive additional support in accessing benefits and documentation, enrolling children in school and seeking employment, the International Rescue Committee disclosed in a statement.
Hans Van de Weerd, IRC Senior Vice President, highlighted the significant role of the VAPA in refugee resettlement and pledged the Committee’s willingness to continue to work with partners, especially, the US government on related issues going forward.
“Operation Allies Welcome was the largest evacuation event since the Vietnam War – with over 73,000 Afghans parolees arriving in the U.S. in a matter of weeks. IRC is working with the Independence Fund to ensure these individuals are met with the support they need to rebuild their lives. VAPA is a great example of an innovation in refugee resettlement that is a critical part of the U.S. government’s continued efforts to rebuild the refugee admissions program. We look forward to continuing to work with the government on similar efforts in the future”.
IRC
On her part, Sarah Verardo, CEO of The Independence Fund, said “We are grateful to provide this service for Afghans and their family members – we recognize that they will continue to need support and we are here for them for as long as it takes”.
According to the IRC, these virtual Afghan Placement and Assistance activities conducted under this agreement are paid for, in part, through financial assistance provided by the Department of State.
Plagued by decades of violent conflict and natural disasters, Afghanistan has created one of the largest refugee populations in the world.
Afghanistan among list of countries most at risk in 2022
Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Yemen top the list of countries deemed most at risk of humanitarian deterioration in 2022. Most ‘Watchlist’ countries – the top ten in particular – have experienced almost non-stop conflict over the last decade, hampering their ability to respond to global challenges like COVID-19 and climate change.
This limited set of countries account for 89% of people in humanitarian need globally, 80% of global refugees and asylum seekers and 96% of attacks on humanitarians, according to the IRC. The Committee stated that climate change is acting as a “pressure cooker” across Watchlist countries, contributing to rising violence and hunger and eroding response capacity.
The IRC, which provides humanitarian relief and recovery assistance to those affected by crises, called for a Redirection of official development assistance (ODA) to target contexts hit hardest by System Failure. The IRC also urged Donors to commit 50% – a doubling of current assistance – of ODA to fragile and conflict-affected states.
As part of the humanitarian responses, the IRC advocates the need to bring crisis settings into the fight against climate change by increasing the proportion of financing directed to them and dedicating half of the annual $100 billion commitment to developing countries for adaptation needs.
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