As the Taliban moved on Kabul in August, Tahera Ahmadi, 31, a married doctor, fled Afghanistan with just a backpack. Now, she's trying to rebuild a life in Alexandria, Virginia.
As the Taliban moved on Kabul in August, Tahera Ahmadi, 31, a married doctor, fled Afghanistan with just a backpack. Now, she's trying to rebuild a life in Alexandria, Virginia.As people around the world celebrate Christmas and the start of a new year, Ahmadi and about 74,000 other Afghan evacuees are navigating their own new beginnings in the U.S.
Ahmadi and a friend who arrived in Qatar together were beaming despite the sunburn, dust, coughing and uncertainty. They showered, clothed, under a large tap. "We were so happy we got out," she recalled.in 2013. He came to the U.S. shortly after on a Special Immigrant Visa and worked in California, most recently as an Uber and Lyft driver.
She remembers her husband telling her to stay in Kabul until she could get out — not to return to Herat because it was so dangerous. "'If you die, die there,'" he told her., one of the seven processing locations. She stayed there for almost two months.Ahmadi left Fort Pickett voluntarily — a path taken by about 5,000 Afghans with close ties in the U.S.Her husband packed his things into a car and drove from California to Virginia to reunite with her.
The U.S. intends to continue to welcome additional Afghans to this country over the coming weeks, months and years, a White House official"We owe them a debt of gratitude and obligation, but it goes beyond that," says Jamil Jaffer, director of the National Security Law & Policy Program at George Mason University.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. set for Christmas weather extremes, with floods, snow and heatwave expectedWinter storms in the western U.S. have left two people dead as other parts of the region face flood alerts, evacuations and the rare prospect of snow on Christmas Day.
Read more »
4th woman accuses Chris Noth of sexual assault, calls for N.Y. to change statute of limitationsAnother woman has said she was sexually assaulted by Chris Noth, the “Law & Order” and “Sex and the City” star, becoming the fourth woman this month to make allegations against him.
Read more »
Another woman accuses Chris Noth of sexual assault, calls for New York to change statute of limitationsAnother woman has said she was sexually assaulted by actor Chris Noth, becoming the fourth woman this month to make allegations against the “Law & Order” and “Sex and the City” star.
Read more »
Photos: Southland soaking brings voluntary evacuationsThe rain will persist intermittently -- perhaps heavy at times -- through the holiday weekend
Read more »
Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect saw warning signs, prosecutors sayThe parents of the teenager charged with killing four classmates in Michigan last month ignored warning signs, including disturbing messages, and did not act, prosecutors say.
Read more »
From Kabul to Kentucky: Afghans put down roots in refugee havenAfter exhausting journeys that took them from Kabul to Qatar to European cities to U.S. military bases, Afghan families fleeing the Taliban alighted in Kentucky, in a small city well versed in receiving refugees.
Read more »