PHR Student Advisory Board Statement on the Unfolding Crisis in Afghanistan
We, the students of the PHR National Student Advisory Board (SAB), are deeply heartbroken as we watch the events in Afghanistan unfold before our eyes.
As the U.S. and other nations evacuate thousands of their citizens, affiliated personnel, and at-risk Afghans, we consider the millions of Afghans left behind. We worry for their futures; for their personal freedoms and liberties; for their basic and fundamental human rights; and for their lives and livelihoods. We worry for the young women with ambitions; for the little girls with big dreams; and for the children with untapped potential to be, and do, what their parents could not.
At the PHR SAB, we represent a diverse group of students with the shared goal of bringing human rights to the forefront of our future medical practices. Collectively, we recognize our privilege in receiving a medical education in a place where our voices are not silenced, our actions not dictated, and our ambitions not suppressed. We dream of seeing the Afghan people live with the same freedoms we take for granted.
We join PHR National in calling on the Biden administration to:
expedite the visa review process for at-risk Afghans;
increase evacuations of at-risk Afghans;
ensure the safety of U.S. allies in Afghanistan;
protect the human rights of the Afghan people through international mechanisms.
While the futures of the Afghan people remain uncertain, we will keep a close eye on the human rights implications of this rapidly evolving situation. We will use our voices to share ways to make an impact through PHR’s work with our medical student community.
Thank you for your support of human rights,
PHR Student Advisory Board
Verified Resources to Support:
Donate to Women for Afghan Women: https://womenforafghanwomen.networkforgood.com/projects/123748-20-years-of-afghan-women-strong
International Rescue Committee: urge Biden administration to take steps to ensure vulnerable Afghans have pathway to safety - https://act.rescue.org/yRqHe9p
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: volunteer to help with refugee mentorship and tutoring - https://lirsconnect.org/get_involved/action_center/siv