(Photo by Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The fallout from the Biden administration’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan continues to grow even more tragic. Almost four months after the president botched the removal of troops, American citizens, and foreign allies from the region, some remain trapped. But now, recent reports reveal another catastrophic development: The Afghan children who were evacuated have not yet been reunited with their parents, and many have been waiting for months.
Separated From Parents
In early November, Reuters reported over 1,000 kids still have not been reunited with their families after being removed from Afghanistan without their parents. CNN reported:
“Many of the children tried to flee Afghanistan with their families but got separated in the chaos, advocates say. Some lost touch with their parents during the bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. And some of their parents didn’t survive the terror attack.”
(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Dr. Sabrina Perrino, an Afghan American pediatrician, called the development “shocking” and noted that the children are “potentially feeling alone and feeling scared.”
Government officials explained the majority of the 1,450 children are living with sponsors in the United States, many of whom are family members who were also evacuated or already residing in the U.S. However, about 250 kids are still in government custody. Most of them do not have family in this country to take care of them as they await the arrival of their parents. Unsurprisingly, families and advocates stated the children are traumatized by the ordeal of getting out of Afghanistan, and they are now “living in limbo and desperate for answers about what’s next.”
CNN reported:
“The Department of Health and Human Services says the government is doing everything it can to help reunite unaccompanied Afghan minors with caregivers, including parents and immediate family, who remain in Afghanistan. But leaving the country remains a significant challenge, the agency said, describing the reunification process as difficult and noting it could take considerable time.”
So far, the White House has not given any indication as to when these children will be reunited with their parents, who are still trying to go through the process of being evacuated from Afghanistan.
Will It Ever End?
The president’s handling of the withdrawal has resulted in even more problems than previously predicted. His fixation on adhering to an arbitrary deadline for removing the troops has proven to be one of the worst decisions he has made during his first year in office. Former President Donald Trump’s plan would have prioritized making sure that American citizens, along with Afghan allies and their families were properly evacuated before removing the last of the nation’s troops from Afghanistan. In essence, this administration essentially prioritized a timeline over the lives of people trapped in the region.
After years of complaining about Trump separating migrant children from their parents, Democrats and the chattering class have little to say about Biden doing the same with Afghan children. This situation will hopefully be resolved soon – but the fact of the matter is that it should not have happened in the first place. If the U.S. had not been forced into a mad scramble of a withdrawal by the White House, the operation could have proceeded in a more orderly and thorough fashion.
~ Read more from Jeff Charles.
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