Rising to the Challenge: Protecting and Addressing the Trauma of Unaccompanied Afghan Children

In August 2021, as the Taliban took over the government of Afghanistan, the United States raced against the clock to relocate our Afghan allies to safety, flying almost 76,000 people out of Afghanistan in a few short weeks. During the chaos, many children became separated from their families—ultimately, at least 1,550 children came to the United States as Unaccompanied Afghan Minors. One year later, the trauma of that separation is a constant ache for these children, only a handful of whom have been reunited with parents or a primary caregiver. Although safe in the United States, their path to a more permanent life and reunification with loved ones is fraught with challenges and uncertainty.

Download Fact Sheet Now