Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, along with the former first ladies, will be working with an initiative to help resettle Afghan evacuees who fled the Taliban.
The former presidents and their wives will serve as honorary co-chairs for Welcome.US, an organization dedicated to welcoming and supporting the refugees, according to a press release from the group.
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“At the heart of so many faiths is the idea that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us,” said President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. “Many of the refugees fleeing Afghanistan stood by America and risked everything for a chance at a better life. Many women and girls, in particular, were at risk of losing their basic human rights and are just looking for a chance to live, work, and raise their families free from fear. Through Welcome.US, we can welcome and support our new Afghan neighbors and reaffirm our common humanity.”
Cecilia Munoz, a senior adviser to New America and a former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Obama, and John Bridgeland, the CEO of the COVID Collaborative and a former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under Bush, are the co-chairs of the organization.
The group also created the Welcome Fund, which is a GoFundMe, and it said it will “provide emergency grants to nonprofit organizations working to address the most urgent needs facing Afghan refugees as they arrive and begin new lives in the United States.” It has raised $2,003,900, though there was an anonymous donation of $2 million. Their goal is to raise $2,250,000.
“Thousands of Afghans stood with us on the front lines to push for a safer world, and now they need our help,” said President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. “We are proud to support Welcome.US and the work to help Afghan families get settled and build new lives. We stand ready to show our new Afghan neighbors and the rest of the world how a welcoming and generous spirit forms the backbone of what makes our country so great.”
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Approximately 60,000 Afghan evacuees have reached the U.S. since Aug. 17, though flights from safe havens in the region to the U.S. have been halted temporarily after a handful of measles cases were discovered.
The U.S. military and its coalition allies staged a massive evacuation, helping more than 120,000 people leave the country in August, with an overwhelming majority coming in the final two weeks after the Taliban overthrew the U.S.-backed Afghan government. There were only roughly 6,000 Americans among them, with hundreds left behind.
