More than 230 Afghan refugee children are alone in the United States without their families

By Courtney Kube, Julia Ainsley, Abigail Williams and Dan De Luce -

More than 230 Afghan children are alone in the United States while their parents or caregivers are still in Afghanistan, according to new figures from the Federal Office for Refugee Resettlement obtained by NBC News.

As evacuations from Afghanistan become more difficult, there is little hope of quick reunifications.

There is only one flight a person with evacuees out of Kabul, and some countries where Afghans wait while applying to come to the US have stopped accepting refugees.

As of August 30, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) had 104 children in its custody, and 130 were in state government or non-governmental organization systems.

Of the 104 still in federal care, 42 are in foster care, according to ORR data.

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During the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghans who had aided the US in August 2021, many Afghan families made the difficult decision to separate in order to get as many of their family members to safety as possible.

More than 1,500 children arrived in the United States unaccompanied, and ORR has placed more than 1,400 with family members or other adults.

The goal remains to reunite all Afghan children with their parents or relatives in the United States, a spokesman said, though many still have no relatives outside Afghanistan.

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"As soon as a child is identified as not having a trusted adult, we begin working to reunite these children with their families and loved ones as quickly as possible," ORR said in a statement, "that includes helping Afghans who have come to the United States and have families abroad who come here.

"These children have experienced more trauma than any child should," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

"It is urgent to do whatever is necessary to reunite these vulnerable children with their families, they cannot afford to wait decades for the United States to fulfill its promise to those left behind," the directive stated.

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A slow and cumbersome process

Since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban have restricted the number of flights leaving Kabul, harassing Afghans, especially women, who try to leave, and charging exorbitant fees for charter flights.

In November, the Taliban suspended all evacuation flights for several months over a dispute over how Kabul's airport was run and who was on the flights.

Flights restarted in January.

In the summer there were an average of two charter flights each week, but since then the number has decreased, and this month it was reduced to one per week.

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Qatar took in tens of thousands of refugees last year, but its facilities can't hold an unlimited number of people, and now Secretary of State Antony Blinken is urging Afghanistan's neighbors to take in refugees in order to that they have access to US consular services and can start the process to come to the US.

Tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans still in the country have received relocation paperwork through the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

But they have to leave Afghanistan for a third country to have their cases processed.

Even after a case enters the system, it can take 12 to 18 months or more for it to be processed.

"We recognize that it is extremely difficult for Afghans to obtain a visa to a third country or to find a way to enter a third country and, like many refugees, they may face significant challenges in fleeing to safety," a Department of Defense spokesperson said. Condition.

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"We continue to monitor the situation on the ground looking at all available options, and our planning will continue to evolve. We strongly encourage Afghanistan's neighbors to allow Afghans in and coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghans who they need," he added.

In October, the State Department informed Congress that the Department of Defense was compiling a list of Afghans who were prioritized for relocation.

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The list would include former special operators, women in the security forces, pilots, elite troops and Afghans with knowledge of specific military and intelligence operations.

Those people could be in danger because of their work with US and NATO forces, and they also knew information that could put the US at risk.

According to two defense officials, the Pentagon made the list but there is no word yet on any official government effort to prioritize evacuation efforts for those people.

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When asked about the list, a Pentagon spokesperson said, “The Department of Defense continues to support State Department-led efforts to facilitate the relocation of former members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces by receiving and processing referrals from Priority 1 that were submitted by members of the US diplomatic service, retired officials, Department of Defense civilians, and others affiliated with the Department of Defense community.

"Leaders across the [Defense] Department have echoed the solemn and abiding obligation we have to the Afghan brothers and sisters with whom we serve and sacrifice," said Army Maj. Rob Lodewick.

"For many in the Department of Defense, this obligation goes beyond politics and remains deeply personal, manifesting itself not just in words, but in deeds. To date, those deeds have seen nearly 94,000 Afghans reach the United States safely. United as part of Operation Allies Welcome and we will continue to do all we can to support ongoing interagency relocation efforts."