A small group of Vancouver-based Afghan-Canadians are scrambling to help their countrymen and women after the fall of Kabul.

Shortly after U.S. forces withdrew from the country and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled, the Taliban swept into Kabul Aug. 15. Thousands of Afghans who were once promised safety by foreign governments were left stranded in the country, vulnerable and unable to escape.

Former Afghan journalist Zahra Hashemi, who left Kabul for Vancouver six years ago, immediately formed a group amongst her friends to assist both refugees and Afghans stuck in the country. She said one of her concerns is how the federal government is identifying the 20,000 refugees it promised to bring into Canada.

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Women and children are at particular risk , she said, adding she has family and friends in the country.

B次元官网网址淭o be honest, they are terrified.B次元官网网址�

To make matters worse, Hashemi said the media isnB次元官网网址檛 portraying an accurate image of whatB次元官网网址檚 happening on the ground.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e trying to normalize the existence of the Taliban in Afghanistan but itB次元官网网址檚 not actually like that,B次元官网网址� Hashemi said, adding that the terrorist organization is going B次元官网网址渄oor-to-doorB次元官网网址� and harming people.

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B次元官网网址淚 received voice messages from not my family, but my friendB次元官网网址檚 family, they were begging their uncles to come and take them because the Taliban just took one of their family members. She was like 13, 14 years old. ItB次元官网网址檚 terrifying. IB次元官网网址檓 talking about it and IB次元官网网址檝e got goosebumps.B次元官网网址�

Speaking to photographs and videos of AfghanB次元官网网址檚 clinging to American planes as they left Kabul, Hashemi said the memory of Taliban control in 1996 is still fresh.

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B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 trust them because they have the experience. This is what happened last time when the Taliban took over. They were OK for a month or so but then they started to show their real faces. ItB次元官网网址檚 something they have experienced and thatB次元官网网址檚 why they are terrified.B次元官网网址�

Hashemi said her small group, which was only formed on Sunday, are looking to expand. Many of the Afghans applying to become a refugee donB次元官网网址檛 speak English, and Hashemi said her group needs help assisting Afghans through the process.

Another focus of the group, she said, is assisting refugees once they arrive to Canada.

B次元官网网址淐anada is not prepared for this many refugees because there was a decision made very quickly by the government. WeB次元官网网址檙e trying to participate in this process and do as much as we can here because we cannot do anything in Afghanistan.B次元官网网址�

To help Hashemi and her group, email samanahashimi4@gmail.com.

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