Bethany Christian Services Calls for Full Evacuation of American Allies Before Withdrawal
August 24, 2021
Grand Rapids, MI — Bethany President & CEO Chris Palusky released the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s decision to adhere to its self-imposed deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by August 31:
“It grieves me that many of our allies will be surrendered to the Taliban despite the U.S. government’s promise to never leave them behind,” said Chris Palusky, Bethany’s President & CEO. “I’ve seen the pure evil the Taliban is capable of. When I lived in Afghanistan, they used the public stadium for public executions instead of sporting events. Tens of thousands of people who served and sacrificed for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan are at grave risk of danger. Some of them are my Afghan friends and they feel hopeless. Sticking to an arbitrary deadline before the evacuation is complete will be a death sentence for many.”
Bethany has resettled more than 250 Afghan allies and refugees, including 65 children who lost their parents during the conflict and translators who helped the U.S. military. Bethany, alongside our church and community partners, is ready and able to resettle more Afghan allies and refugees.
“The U.S government should prioritize the protection of our Afghan allies like it prioritized the withdrawal of U.S. forces and extend the evacuation beyond August 31,” Palusky continued. “At Bethany Christian Services, our faith compels us to not just love our neighbors, but to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are pleading with the Administration to let us live out our faith through our actions. The lives of our neighbors in Afghanistan depend on it.”
About Bethany Bethany is an international Christian nonprofit that is changing the world through family. 75 years ago, we began our work by serving one child. Today, we partner with churches and communities in more than 30 states and nearly a dozen countries, impacting hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Bethany demonstrates the love and compassion of Jesus by strengthening and preserving families, finding new families for children who need them, and supporting refugees and immigrants who have fled danger, because everyone deserves to be safe, loved, and connected.
