New York, Aug. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Open Society Foundations announced today the creation of a $10 million Afghanistan emergency fund to support Afghans in grave danger""including champions of human rights, women's rights, and journalists""by expanding immediate protection opportunities.

The Afghanistan Emergency Humanitarian Fund will help support sponsorship for humanitarian parole programs in the United States that provide a pathway to temporary refuge for those in harm's way. It will bolster international relief organizations in their efforts to support Afghan citizens fleeing the Taliban advance. And the fund will aid other efforts to deliver humanitarian relief to internally displaced Afghans and those fleeing to other countries taking them in.

Open Society invites other donors to join these efforts to address this humanitarian emergency.

"The Open Society Foundations have long worked in Afghanistan to promote human rights, culture, and freedom of expression," said President Mark Malloch–Brown. "We remain deeply committed to Afghans and their efforts to help the country advance toward a more open society. We call on funders to join us in our response to this urgent humanitarian crisis. There is truly not a moment to waste."

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