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With an expected influx of refugees successful Los Angeles County aft the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan this week, the Los Angeles region supervisors connected Tuesday, Aug. 31, are poised to necessitate veterans affairs and societal work agencies to coordinate services that would service the recently get immigrants and the U.S. veterans who served successful their war-battered nation.
A motion by Board Chair Hilda Solis would necessitate a tandem of region departments to place and coordinate “all disposable resources for Los Angeles County Afghan veterans and returning subject unit impacted by the U.S. pullout.”
America’s 20-year warfare successful Afghanistan entered its last hours Monday with the past Americans seeking to beryllium evacuated and the U.S. subject preparing to extremity its airlift and depart the Taliban-controlled capital. Meanwhile, a panic onslaught adjacent Kabul airdrome killed astatine slightest 169 radical past week, including 13 U.S. subject servicemembers and U.S. officials fearfulness determination whitethorn beryllium much violence.
The absorption of the U.S. evacuation was progressively connected getting the past Americans out. Senior medication officials said Sunday that the United States has the capableness to evacuate the astir 300 U.S. citizens remaining successful Afghanistan who privation to permission earlier President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline.
“This is the astir unsafe clip successful an already extraordinarily unsafe ngo these past mates of days,” said America’s apical diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The dependable watercourse of U.S. subject jets taking disconnected and landing astatine Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Afghanistan’s superior continued Monday adjacent aft rocket occurrence targeted the airdrome and rockets deed a adjacent neighborhood.
Amid the often chaotic withdrawal — executed done a massive, two-week air-lift that whitethorn yet beryllium extended — thousands of refugees volition disperse crossed the globe, with galore landing successful Southern California, officials said.
Veteran subject unit — and their loved ones — volition nary no uncertainty request assistance arsenic they, too, get location to woody with the after-effects of American’s longest war.
“Many are feeling a consciousness of grief arsenic the Afghan authorities is falling,” according to Tuesday’s motion. “Others are traumatized and acrophobic astir the well-being of their friends and family. Furthermore, loved ones of fallen work members who served successful Afghanistan are experiencing akin agony. The county’s Departments of Military and Veteran Affairs and Mental Health person disposable resources to assistance with this tragic and evolving situation.”
Supervisors are seeking an appraisal of what services would beryllium disposable to the immigrants and veterans, which could see currency aid, aesculapian and intelligence wellness care, workforce improvement and migration ineligible help.
Under the plan, an Afghan Refugee Task Force, headed by the county’s enforcement manager of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, would collaborate with local, authorities and national agencies to coordinate the region response.
There is nary uncertainty a keen involvement successful however the concern mightiness play retired successful Southern California, from the section level to assistance that could beryllium secured from the national government.
Late past week, Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank,Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, and Tony Cardenas, D-Van Nuys, on with respective different members of the state’s legislature delagation, penned a missive to President Joe Biden that affirmed a “readiness” successful the authorities to location Afghan refugees precocious evacuated.
“As acrophobic Members of the California legislature delegation, we constitute to explicit our urgent interest for the harmless relocation of Afghan refugees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and dependable our beardown enactment for the placement of these susceptible individuals fleeing Afghanistan successful our state,” according to the letter. “We are indebted to our Afghan partners, galore of whom aided the U.S. subject and diplomatic efforts arsenic translators, drivers, contractors, and allies successful the region. They saved American lives, and it is of the utmost value that we utilize each instrumentality astatine our disposal to support them and supply them harmless harbor.”
In the San Fernando Valley, Democrat Rep. Brad Sherman’s bureau has been slammed with calls of involvement connected the situation, officials said. And Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Saugus, has called connected Biden to permission nary American behind, nor their Afghan allies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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