Afghanistan

The lives of Afghan civilians who worked alongside Americans were at risk once U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan. From more than 7,000 miles away, Army veteran and former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander devised a rescue mission, "Operation Bella," to get allies away from the Taliban.

Facing genocide in Afghanistan, a family of Hazara refugees settled in Kansas City. But they remain separated from their son, who helped bring them here under the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrant’s Family Reunification program.

Among the struggles involved in re-establishing life in a new country, some Afghan parents fear their children will lose the cultural and historical connections that come with speaking Dari.

Informal soccer matches every Saturday on the open fields at Shawnee Mission North High School let Afghan refugees visit with people from their home country and speak their native languages. It's also a chance to improve their English.

After the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Kansas City welcomed hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan in 2021. Two years later, many refugees are in search of stable housing as the question of their immigration status remains in the air.

Kansas City is home to a growing community of refugees from Afghanistan, including an ethnic minority known as the Hazara who are finding a place here and spreading awareness of what they call a genocide back home.

Qasim Rahimi came to Kansas City in June 2021 after the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. Rahimi is a member of the Hazara, an ethnic minority group that has faced decades of violent persecution at the hands of the Taliban, and now he’s working to warn the world about the genocide being carried out against his people.

Kansas City-area members of Afghanistan's Hazara ethnic minority — some new arrivals since the U.S. evacuation in 2021 — are creating a community and celebrating traditions here while trying to call attention to the risk of genocide back in Afghanistan.

In the coming months, the International Institute of St. Louis plans to welcome Afghan refugees from Albania, where they have been for months. Institute officials say they will be more prepared for the latest arrivals.

The International Institute of St. Louis is ready to welcome more Afghan families and refugees from other countries. Officials with the U.S. State and Health and Human Services departments and the International Nonprofit Immigrant Organization met with International Institute officials Monday.

Aug. 15 marked the one-year anniversary of Zamzama Safi’s escape from Afghanistan. The former translator for U.S. forces reflects on living in Missouri for nearly a year — and her hopes for the future.

A year after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, 760 refugees have made Kansas City their new home. But even after finding jobs and housing, these new residents remain separated from their family and uncertain about their future — including if they'll be allowed to stay.