As the US military launches operation “Strike of the Sword” in Afghanistan, sending 4,000 newly arrived Marines and 650 Afghan forces into the Helmland River valley, we must consider how this major offensive will impact Afghan civilians forced to flee this war torn region. Rough estimates from The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) suggest there are already up to 1,000 Helmland families living in refugee camps near Kabul. Who knows how many thousands more families will seek shelter in these camps in the ensuing weeks due to deadly battles in Helmland or anywhere else in Afghanistan. One thing is clear though, which Tom Hayden nailed in his recent piece on the Long War, “American troops can never “protect” Afghanistan civilians from American troops!”

The Afghan Women’s Mission and RAWA have been working tirelessly to help Afghan refugees in dire need, despite threats from warlords and the Afghan intelligence agency. At this point, refugees lack food more than anything else. Just consider what the prices of food are in an Afghan market (based on a exchange rate of $1 US = 50.2 Afghanis):

Please make a contribution to RAWA through The Afghan Women’s Mission today.