According to a report released early this month, the U.S. only evacuated about three percent of Afghans who applied for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) after working for the American government. That means about 78,000 people in that category are still trapped in Afghanistan and facing threats from the Taliban.
Farzana Jamalzada arrived in Rochester on an SIV earlier this year. She had her husband, Anwarulhaq “Farhad” Khurami, had only been married a month before they fled their home country. Their journey to Rochester was facilitated by the local nonprofit organization, Keeping Our Promise.
This hour, Jamalzada and Khurami share their story, and we discuss the latest with the SIV program. Our guests:
- Farzana Jamalzada, Afghan native who served the U.S. military
- Anwarulhaq “Farhad” Khurami, Afghan native
- Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise
- Laurel Prothero, assistant director of Keeping Our Promise
