09/23/2021 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – Since the August 31, 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, stories of persecution continue to emerge, showing that the Taliban is failing to live up to its promises of reform. Testimonies of beatings and Christian martyrdom continue to circulate U.S. media outlets, and social media reports attest to the grave situation.

If threats of danger were not enough, Afghanistan’s economy is in freefall. Recently, the United Nations estimated that roughly 18 million Afghans are in desperate need of humanitarian aid and Reuters reported that food might run out by the end of the month. NGO workers now say there is a run on the banks and that Afghans are selling personal possessions in the street to raise cash.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Afghan Christians already face business and employment discrimination because they do not belong to the national faith—Sunni Islam. Any indication that a person does not participate in Islam can cost a person financially. This means that Christians and other minority religions are one of the most economically disadvantaged groups in the country. Before U.S. involvement, few Christians lived in Afghanistan. Now it is believed that between 8,000-10,000 Christians reside within the country though figures are uncertain due to the recent uptick in persecution. They are at significant risk of starvation, aside from being terrorized.

It is evident that the world must react swiftly. But how?

Afghanistan is deeply dependent on foreign aid. Altogether, the U.S. has spent nearly $4 billion on humanitarian and refugee resettlement efforts since 2002, according to the U.S. State Department. On September 13, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the release of an additional $64 million in new humanitarian aid to the citizens of Afghanistan, upping this year’s total to $330 million. Concurrently, UN member states pledged a total of $1.2 billion.

Besides sending aid, the U.S. government could consider expanding refugee resettlement or grant Priority 2 status to persecuted minorities. While some feel that aid money is best spent within the region, others argue that funds spent on resettlement are worth the expense. Ultimately, the issue of refugee resettlement is a hotly debated topic.

Arguments surrounding refugee resettlement often centers on economic impacts. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) estimates the lifetime cost of refugee resettlement at $60,000 per child and $133,000 per adult. The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) puts the figure at $15,000.

CIS argues that analyses often fail to consider all of the variables involved in the resettlement process, including housing, infrastructure, law enforcement, and education. They also state that nearly a third of adult refugees come to the U.S. with no greater than a sixth-grade education, causing significant burdens on the economy.

In contrast, ICMC highlights the entrepreneurial tendencies of refugees, claiming that refugees start businesses and create jobs and tax revenue at a rate that is 4% above the native population. If the U.S. resettles all 62,000 of the proposed refugees in 2021, the cost could lie somewhere between $930,000,000 and $6.2 billion. If past aid trends continue, the U.S. will spend $6.27 billion on Afghanistan over the next 19 years. One way or the other, it appears that the United States must continue to support Afghanistan financially. While the numbers seem daunting, what is the cost of a life saved?

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: [email protected].