The team here at Separated Child has been devastated to see how events have unfolded in Afghanistan over the past few weeks. Whilst we recognise the government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees over the next five years, we know that many people – including children and young people, travelling alone – will already have fled their homes in search of safety.
We have seen unprecedented demand for arrival packs and sleep packs this summer and anticipate that the need will only increase as lone Afghan youngsters arrive in the UK. We are actively recruiting volunteers for our packing project and have launched a fundraising appeal to ensure that we can provide separated children with much-needed essentials like clothing and toiletries; many refugees arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Alongside the other members of the Together with Refugees coalition we continue to call on the UK government for a more compassionate approach to refugees. Please follow us on Twitter and add your voice to the campaign.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. We remain absolutely committed to offering comfort, dignity and hope to all separated children arriving in the UK.
Richard Hammond
CEO, The Separated Child Foundation
August 2021
