The School of Social Work Responds to the Afghan Refugee Crisis

By
Janet Young and Eleni Vlachos
November 18, 2021

Social work leaders working with refugees and displaced persons offer key takeaways for moving forward.

Recently, the School of Social Work interviewed three key leaders working with refugee and migrant populations about how to best respond to the Afghan refugee crisis.

ASPIRE's Dr. Anindita Dasgupta and GHRCCA's regional director Dr. Assel Terlikbayeva participated, as well as  social work lecturer and writer Dr. Mashura Akilova.

Dr. Dasgupta cautions:

“Refugee resettlement agencies and non-profit agencies working closely with Afghan refugees must be prepared to provide care that is trauma-informed and tailored to gender & culture."

Excerpt from the School of Social Work

Social work leaders working with refugees and displaced persons offer key takeaways for moving forward

The withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan, which concluded on August 30 after 20 years of war, forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave the country or attempt to leave. Already, Social Work faculty are working with the University’s Committee on Forced Migration to respond to the crisis, beginning with the placement of Afghan students and scholars. We reached out to them and others working in the region to hear their observations, recommendations, and the implications for the field of social work. Here is what we learned.

Read the entire piece published by the Columbia School of Social Work.

Refugee resettlement agencies and non-profit agencies working closely with Afghan refugees must be prepared to provide care that is trauma-informed and tailored to gender & culture.

Dr. Anindita Dasgupta