Right now. It’s simple. It’s urgent. …

UPDATES AT BOTTOM OF POST

*Friday August 27 ↓↓↓

*Thursday afternoon August 26 ↓↓↓

*Wednesday August 25 ↓↓↓

*Bad news, Monday evening August 23 ↓↓↓

*Good news Monday afternoon August 23 ↓↓↓ but Kabul Small Animal Rescue needs help  here.

*Sunday afternoon August 22 ↓↓↓

*Saturday afternoon August 21 ↓↓↓

*Thursday afternoon (PST) ↓↓↓

 

Hi Awesome Peeps!

The animal rescue group, Nowzad, in Afghanistan needs immediate help. All that is needed for you to help is to send some Tweets (or emails). And, if you have it to spare, monetary donations.

I will list all relevant links below to make it super easy. 

First, some background.

Nowzad is an animal rescue NGO operating in Afghanistan. It was founded in 2007 by former British Marine, Pen Farthing.

They focus on reuniting servicemen and women with stray dogs and cats they befriended while on tour in Afghanistan. They also rescue dogs and cats and rehabilitate abused donkeys at their sanctuary/clinic.

Nowzad has 71 Afghans working for them as veterinarians, vet techs, etc. Most are women.

The situation. (as of Wednesday afternoon)

Pen has a confirmed plan in place to get most of the animals in his sanctuary out of Afghanistan. And a place to take them to. (He’s been advised not to disclose the location for now.)

However, Pen is refusing to leave Afghanistan until the British government agrees to evacuate all 71 of his Afghan veterinary care team.

Each employee has been vetted and has secure job offers in the UK. Their photos and documentation are ready to go. They simply don’t have the authorization of the British government.

Today, during Parliament’s session, Nowzad/Pen Farthing’s request was mentioned and their work was praised. However, Boris Johnson refused to promise that Britain would give Visas to the 71 Nowzad Afghans. (That video here.) He pussyfooted around the request the same way the American government officials do. (See reporter Clarissa Ward trying to pin down Pentagon press secretary, John Kirby, to promise safe passage to Afghan translators here.)

Nowzad needs as many people as possible to contact government officials to persuade them to get their team out of Afghanistan.

Pen will not go unless they go.

That is the situation in an unemotional nutshell.

The emotional aspect is of course, heart wrenching panic. Pen is irate at the UK and USA governments for botching the withdrawal and so desperate for his fellow rescuers’ safety that he will not in good conscience leave them behind.

Also, the Taliban are now occupying the building next to the sanctuary but have not as yet paid Nowzad a visit.

Donation Help.

Any monetary donations will go to the animals in the sanctuary – their transport, care, and the building of a new shelter in the new location.

Donation link here – https://www.nowzad.com/donate

How to specifically help the 71 Afghan Veterinary Care Team of Nowzad.

Send Tweets (or email) to British government officials.

Demand that they grant Visas to all 71 Nowzad workers.

*Boris Johnson, Prime Minister.  https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson

*Priti Patel, Home Secretary. https://twitter.com/pritipatel

*Carrie Johnson, Director of Comms. https://twitter.com/carrielbjohnson

*Rt Hn Wendy Morton https://twitter.com/morton_wendy

*Rt Hon James Cleverly https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly

*Rt Hon Dominic Raab https://twitter.com/DominicRaab

*Rt Hon Zac Goldsmith https://twitter.com/ZacGoldsmith

*Rt Hon Lord (Tariq) Ahmad  https://twitter.com/tariqahmadbt

*Rt Hon Ben Wallace  https://twitter.com/BWallaceMP

Demand they provide a safe passage to the Kabul airport.

*Joe Biden, Predsident. https://twitter.com/POTUS

*Kamala Harris, Vice President. https://twitter.com/VP

*Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Of The House. https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi

*Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader. https://twitter.com/SenSchumer

*First Lady, Jill Biden. https://twitter.com/FLOTUS

*Congressman Adam Schiff https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff

*Congressman Steve Chabot https://twitter.com/RepSteveChabot

*Senator Tulsi Gabbard https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard

 

Other News Related To Nowzad And How You Can Help.

Last night, Pen’s wife, Kaisa, and their country manager and her 2 year old son had tickets for a flight but got stopped with throngs of people at the airport fence. The American and British soldiers would not let them through the gate. They missed their flight, got crushed and groped, and had to navigate the streets of Kabul at night to get back home.

They are safe now but will not attempt the road to the airport until it is secure.

Kaisa works for an American NGO in Afghanistan called Ascend Athletics that helps girls  become leaders through athletics. She is trying to get 100 Afghan girls in the program to the USA.  They are between the ages of 16- 23. So if you are contacting the American officials of behalf of Nowzad and want to help these girls too, please use the links above to contact the American government officials.

Please demand that the USA provide safe passage to the airport so people can actually leave without risking their lives.

I will update this blog post as developments arise. In the meantime, let’s –

Rescue The Animal Rescuers!

Meows,

Cynthia (Marcy + Penelope Kitten)

♥

UPDATES:

Friday, August 27:

• Pen has made it out of Afghanistan with 150 rescued animals. He and the animals are on their way to the UK.
• Nowzad Veterinary Care Team and their families are trapped in Afghanistan. They need passports. Their visas from the UK government are no longer sufficient to get them into the airport and on a plane.

Thursday afternoon, August 26:

• After waiting outside the airport for over 15 hours, Nowzad finally arrived inside the gate. However, the military was not accepting the Afghan Vet Teams paperwork (not sure why yet). Then, the bombs went off, the van holding the families (25 children) were shot at, and Nowzad made it back to their clinic with no injuries.

Wednesday, August 25:

• The PM has intervened and allowed Nowzad access to the airport. The aggressive media campaign worked.

Monday, evening PST, August 23:

• Pen’s flight has been blocked by  Ben Wallace, UK Secretary State of Defense, and he has cut off his life line to the British military. It is said that Ben Wallace doesn’t want the images of the UK taking animals out of Afghanistan. Pen Farthing served as a marine in the British military for 22 years. He is gutted and is on his own now.
• Please tweet or email Rt. Hon Ben Wallace at  https://twitter.com/BWallaceMP  to demand he let Nowzad’s privately funded rescue of 200 Afghans and 200 animals. The animals will be in the cargo hold where people are not allowed to go so they are NOT taking animals over people.

Monday, afternoon PST, August 23:

• Boris Johnson has granted all Afghan Veterinary Care Team UK resident visas and is working on safe passage for people and animals to the airport.
• Now Kabul  Small Animal Rescue is in desperate need of help. The Taliban are demanding they leave. Keyboard Warriors needed to get them a landing permit for their cargo plane of cats and dogs. More info here.

Sunday, afternoon PST, August 22:

• A commercial plane has been chartered that will transport 250 people (upper portion),  100 dogs and 78 cats (bottom cargo hold) to the UK. Donations were used to fund the plane.
• They are waiting for British government to provide safe passage to the airport.
• Medical and food supplies will be arriving on the plane for the evacuees  at the airport.
• They cannot help other rescues as they do not have any more room on the plane. Kabul Small Animal Rescue is also chartering planes and is still taking in cats and dogs. See here for my latest post on how to help them.

Saturday, afternoon PST, August 21:

• The British Foreign Office is still processing the Visa requests.
• A safe passage to the airport is still needed.
• The USA has stopped allowing money into Afghanistan which means Pen cannot access Nowzad’s money to pay his employees. They need money to buy food and are in danger of running out. He’s asking we contact American officials to open up the money flow to Afghanistan as this policy is hurting regular Afghans.

Thursday, afternoon PST, August 19:

• The British Foreign Office has finally made contact with Nowzad and requested Pen’s list of all 71 Afghans who are part of his Veterinary Care Team to process their visa appeals.
• Kaisa left Kabul on an empty flight headed to Norway.

 

=^..^=