Biden Authorizes $500 Million in Emergency Aid to Help Fleeing Afghan Refugees

President Biden has allocated up to $500 million to assist Afghan refugees from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund. Biden issued the order Monday evening, after he returned to the White House from his vacation at Camp David.

Biden’s order stated that the funds are for the “purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of refugees, victims of conflict, and other persons at risk as a result of the situation in Afghanistan.”

The order draws its authority from the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, said Biden. The Act was implemented with the intention for the United States president to be able to aid individuals displaced by conflict, persecution and other risks around the world.

Newsweek writes, “as the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan, the Biden administration is scrambling to evacuate Afghan allies who aided the U.S. during its 20-year occupation. The Taliban has rapidly re-taken the country over the past two weeks.”

Former U.S. Army Captain Blake Hall explained to Newsweek the Taliban executes those who are friendly to the United States. He fears the worst for Afghan citizens who helped the United States in any capacity; “They’ll be hunted down and killed, and many times their families will be killed, too” said Hall who served in Mosul, Iraq.

Newsweek reports, “since 2014, the Taliban has murdered at least 300 Afghans who served as interpreters for U.S. forces, according to No One Left Behind, a veteran-led group for Afghan and Iraqi interpreters.”

Declaring victory, the Taliban released a statement Monday, in which they claim U.S. friendly Afghans have nothing to fear. “[Such Afghans] should show remorse for their past actions and must not engage in such activities in the future that amount to treason against Islam and the country” the statement reads.

“But none should currently desert the country. The Islamic Emirate will not perturb them but calls them to return to their normal lives and if they do have expertise in any field, to serve their country, They shall not be in any danger on our part.” The hundreds of thousands of citizens desperately clinging to airplanes and helicopters evacuating Kabul’s airport would suggest no one believes the Taliban is speaking the truth.