On President Biden's remarks regarding updates to the US response in Afghanistan, Noah Gottschalk, Global Policy Lead for Oxfam America, made the following statement:
“The time for incremental policies has long passed. President Biden has now given three speeches on Afghanistan in the last week, but he has yet to sufficiently reassure vulnerable Afghans of his administration’s support to get them swiftly out of harm’s way.
“The decisions to activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and expand the safe zone around the airport in Kabul are important positive steps, but it is only a small fraction of what the United States can and should be doing to help Afghans safely seek refuge. The Biden administration must act boldly and urgently to reverse its sluggish response at this crucial moment. The commercial flights announced today only provide safe transportation from staging point countries like Qatar, Bahrain, and Germany, for Afghans and foreign citizens who have already made it out of the country. The US has to ensure that Afghans in need of evacuation have a clear and secure path to, and entry into, the airport in Kabul and out of the country.
“The Biden administration needs to expedite and expand processes for life-saving visas so families are not forced to languish in harm’s way. The US must create sustainable, long-term investment in local organizations in Afghanistan and neighboring countries to offer humanitarian protection and support within and outside Afghanistan, including to evacuees in third countries, as the situation evolves. President Biden must also continue full evacuation efforts beyond the August 31st deadline to account for every US citizen, green card holder, and US ally, in addition to Afghans in situations of vulnerability.
“While this human catastrophe is currently unfolding under the Biden administration, the debacle we’re all witnessing is the result of neglectful and half-measured policies made by every US president over the last 20 years. Each administration is responsible for the calamity of confusion and fear in Afghanistan, which has left children and families with no viable option but to make the impossible decision to flee their homes and leave everything behind in search of safety.”