RE:ACT supports emergency resettlement of Afghan evacuees in the UK

CHILMARK (2 Sep 2021) – RE:ACT Disaster Response is helping to support the critical needs of newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan, following the emergency evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul over the past week.

RE:ACT is part of the joint voluntary response, which includes the British Red Cross and the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP). The coordinated effort is supporting the Greater London Authority and local councils in several locations across the UK, as part of the UK Government’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

On Saturday 28 August, RE:ACT was contacted by the VCSEP to provide urgent logistical assistance to manage donations received by Lewisham Donation Hub. RE:ACT mobilised a team of volunteers overnight to arrive on site the next day. Using their expertise in last-mile logistics, the RE:ACT volunteers have been implementing a system for organising donations, which include vital medical supplies, sanitary products and essential baby provisions, to ensure items are distributed in prioritisation of most urgent need.

As well as organising and managing stocks, RE:ACT volunteers are involved in distributing donated items directly to the doors of Afghan evacuees who are quarantining in hotels due to Covid-19 protocols. Over 50 RE:ACT volunteers are currently on call, supporting more than 25 locations across London and the South East.

On RE:ACT’s support to the Afghan resettlement programme, Ben Lampard, RE:ACT Director of Humanitarian Operations, said:

“This is a complex and evolving situation but the voluntary and community sector is leaning in hard to offer its support. As a charity with many veterans who served in Afghanistan, this is a matter that is very close to the hearts of lots of our volunteers. The people arriving in the UK from Afghanistan lacked many essential supplies and we are now working closely with crisis response agencies to ensure donated items reach the people who need them. It’s heartening to see the generosity of the public and how quickly our volunteers stepped forward to provide assistance.”

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