Blog

by Jessica Hart | Thursday, December 2nd 2021 | Watch the story

JEFFERSON CITY — Millions have fled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of United States troops.

Several of those evacuees are now calling Mid-Missouri home.

“We’ve now resettled 217 Afghan evacuees in the last two months, including four beautiful babies who were born within the last couple of weeks,” said Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri Executive Director Dan Lester.

Thursday morning, The White House Coordinator for Operation ALLIES met with resettlement organizations in Kansas City. Catholic Charities attended the meeting, and Lester said they discussed how the resettlement process has been going.

He noted the resettlement process has been going well but said it’s been challenging managing the volume.

“The highest number of refugees we’ve resettled over a 12-month period in the past was 229,” he said.

At first, Washington randomly assigned Afghan refugees to a location, but now Lester said they’re able to reconnect families.

“After we had our first 50 to 75 folks we welcomed, we started going to them asking, ‘OK, where are your relatives, who are your relatives, who might be here.’ Of those 217 individuals, that is about 50 families total, I would say a good 20-30 of those [families] who [were] separated at some point, we have been able to bring back together,” Lester said.

He added, often families who are fleeing war, terror, violence, etc. separate.

Read the full story online: https://krcgtv.com/news/local/over-200-afghan-refugees-have-resettled-in-mid-missouri