Afghanistan

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the collapse of the republican government in August 2021, left members of PEN Afghanistan at great risk. The Taliban has killed three PEN members since November 2020: Abdul Atefi, Dawa Khan Menapal and Yama Siawash. We acted as swiftly as possible to evacuate PEN Afghanistan’s staff, members, and their families.

Working with over a dozen PEN Centres, we also facilitated the evacuation and long-term resettlement of many Afghan writers, poets, and publishers. We continue to work alongside PEN Centres and partner organisations to provide support and emergency relief for Afghan writers at risk, both inside and outside Afghanistan.