Toowoomba groups ready to help and support Afghanistan refugees

The Toowoomba groups are offering emotional support to Afghan families here and helping with visa applications to bring family members to Australia.

Toowoomba residents (from left) Fatemeh Hosseini, Fatima Aria, Emma Burstow and Zeynab Aria come together to help Afghan refugees. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Images of chaotic scenes in Afghanistan have prompted different Toowoomba groups to come together in a joint effort to help those trying to get out of the troubled country.

Toowoomba is home to more than 200 Afghan families, all of whom at the moment have grave concerns for family and friends amid the turmoil in their homeland.

“We have family still there, and it’s terrifying to think if they will be safe,” Fatima Aria said.

“Women can’t leave the house to shop, and they are just watching their children starve.

“We don’t know what happens after August 31 (the time the Taliban has given people to leave).

“The Taliban have closed down services, and it’s difficult to contact people there.”

Ms Aria was included in a Zoom meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Immigration Minister Alexander Hawke when the Afghanistan crisis emerged.

The meeting discussed ways to get Australian citizens, Afghans with visas and others out of Afghanistan.

Since that meeting, Toowoomba groups such as Pure Land Youth Group, Red Cross and the HumeRidge Church and others have come together to provide emotional support for Afghan families in Toowoomba and assist those families fill out visas in the hope of bringing more family members here.

UNITED FRONT: Toowoomba residents (clockwise from top) Fatima Aria, Zeynab Aria, Fatemeh Hosseini and Emma Burstow come together to help Afghan refugees. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“We had a call to pray at HumeRidge for the Afghan families and more than 200 people turned up,” Emma Burstow of HumeRidge Church said.

“It was Australian and Afghanistan people coming together to support each other and pray together.

“We have had people even coming up from Brisbane to help the families and help them fill out visa application forms.”

The application forms are sent to a migration agent who checks over them before they are passed on to the department for submission.

“If anyone can help with translating or is good at filling out government forms, we need the help,” she said.

“Best to call HumeRidge Church on 4635 0350.”

Zeynab Aria from Red Cross, who also has family in Afghanistan, said the Australian Red Cross was trying to find families in Afghanistan who had lost contact.

Those looking for help in reconnecting to family in Afghanistan should email [e-mail]

In the meantime, all of us could help, explained Fatima Aria.

“Please write to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration and tell them our community supports the people of Afghanistan and we want to help them,” she said.