Resettlement of Afghans in our area and how to help

The Northern Nevada International Center is deeply concerned with the safety and welfare of the people of Afghanistan, many of whom continue to fear for their lives and are in hiding since the take-over of the Taliban. We continue to receive an unprecedented number of emails with offers of assistance and love in support of our efforts to resettle Afghans. We have resettled more than 150 Afghan individuals as of the end of December 2021.

We continue to receive questions for how people can help. Here are some basic steps if you want to donate items, volunteer your time, offering temporary, permanent housing or provide financial assistance. Please be patient as this unprecedented humanitarian crisis is placing a great strain on our amazing team of case managers and volunteers. While we try to answer all emails and requests for information, there may be delays in our response.

What you can do to help

Donate or purchase items for families

Thank you so much for your donations and desire to help and serve our refugee community. At this time we no longer have space for physical donations of general items, so we ask that you review our list of specific items needed so we can match items with specific families.

Donate items Amazon wish list

Offering temporary housing

If you are interested in offering your home on a temporary basis, please email amundt@nnic.org to receive the temporary housing form.

Become a volunteer

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact amundt@nnic.org, and she will walk you through the following steps:

  1. Watch the training video.
  2. Fill out volunteer documentation and allow us to complete a background check.
  3. You will be assigned to a volunteer group in WhatsApp, a popular communication app.

Donate funds

If you’d like to make a donation, check out our online donation portal for more information. 

Resettlement resources

If you have questions, requests or need support, please see these resources below:

If you are eligible for an SIV, P-2 designation, or humanitarian parole and are in Afghanistan OR are a friend or family member of an eligible SIV, P-2, or humanitarian parole:

Make a safety plan:

  • Identify a place where you can be safe, at least temporarily.
  • Identify an outside person to notify about the specifics of your whereabouts.
  • Identify another safe place to go if the situation at the initial place of safety changes.

If you are a U.S. citizen in Afghanistan OR asking for guidance on behalf of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan:

  1. Submit Repatriation Assistance Request via the U.S. Embassy Kabul online. Those eligible for repatriation assistance are U.S. citizens, or spouses or minors of U.S. citizens awaiting visas.
  2. If you need additional assistance, email or call the Task Force for Consular Affairs for Afghanistan at ATF-TF1@groups.state.gov or +001-202-647-7400

If you are SIV eligible or a family member reaching out on behalf of an eligible SIV:

While there is no guarantee that there will be a speedy reply, fill out an inquiry for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul with a clear and specific request.

If you are P2 eligible or have questions related to the US Refugee Assistance Program:

Please email USRAPAfghanInquiries@state.gov.

If you want information about resettling not in the United States:

Please find information through UNHCR

If you are, or are reaching out on behalf of a high-profile woman or women’s rights activist:

Email the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, which has a list devoted specially to evacuating women and girls: SGWI_AfghanReferrals@state.gov.

If you have a friend or family member in Afghanistan who is trying to evacuate:

Contact your Senator or Representative in Congress! Many Senators and House members are gathering lists of Afghans in need of evacuation, and passing along information to relevant contacts at the State Department. Find your House representative’s office contact here and your Senator’s office contact here.