The United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation is working to help thousands of Afghans who fled the Taliban find jobs at U.S. companies including Walmart and Amazon.
The foundation, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has partnered with some of the country’s largest employers to establish the Coalition for Afghan Refugee Employment in the U.S.
Carolyn Cawley, president of the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said that finding the refugees work is crucial for those who have fled because it gives people a sense of “dignity, opportunity, and stability” and affords them hope for a brighter future.
Some of the major companies involved in the effort include Walmart, Amazon, and UPS. Walmart and Amazon are the largest and second-largest employers in the country, respectively.
“Helping meet the urgent needs of Afghan refugees will require all hands to work together,” Cawley said. “Through this effort, we’re proud to bring American businesses together to fill a critical need — supporting the resilience and financial independence of Afghan refugees who are starting a new life in the U.S.”
The program is being joined in its efforts by Welcome.US, an organization with a sleek online hub designed to help resettle the 65,000 Afghan refugees by providing people with the resources they need to help the process whether that is hosting a family, volunteering, or donating.
In addition to scores of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and front-line organizations, Welcome.US’s honorary co-chairpeople include former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama and their wives.
The U.S. began frantically airlifting both citizens and Afghans who assisted the U.S. during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan last month after Taliban militants shocked officials with a rapid advance on the Afghan capital of Kabul. The Taliban siege resulted in the U.S.-backed government being ousted in a matter of days.
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The expected Taliban overthrow of the country was anticipated to take months and subsequently resulted in a mob of Afghans attempting to flee the country under fear of death. Many of the Afghans extricated from Kabul worked as interpreters for U.S. troops as they fought against the Taliban.
The frenzied process generated a largely bipartisan outpouring of support for the refugees, who are now being settled in every state except for Hawaii, Wyoming, West Virginia, and South Dakota. California and Texas are expected to resettle the most, eventually housing 5,225 and 4,481 migrants, respectively.
