UK Communities Donate To Arriving Afghan Refugees

Several communities in the United Kingdom are providing aid to arriving refugees and children from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the country.

Sally Depee, the founder of Little Cherubs, a children’s clothes bank, told news sources that a social worker asked her to provide clothes for 64 Afghan children between the ages of 1 and 13 who would be staying at a hotel in Congleton, Cheshire, England.

After putting out an appeal on social media on Tuesday, Depee received 200 donations of clothes as of Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ve got prams, we’ve got coats, pyjamas, we’ve had financial contributions from local businesses which have been in touch,” Depee noted. “People who have seen it on social media have asked if they can send money, so we are going to buy new underwear for the children.”

“We’ve got two huge vans, and we are going to take them on Sunday to the hotel in Congleton,” she added.

Depee, who founded Little Cherub in February to provide clothing and shoes for children during the pandemic, said that she felt a strong moral responsibility to help the Afghan children.

“These are children who have never known anything other than war. They are somebody’s daughter, they are somebody’s son,” she said. “Let’s help these people and try and give them some dignity and make that transition from being airlifted from their home with only the clothes on their back. If we can do a small gesture by providing them with some clothing and toiletries and toys, why not do it,” she added.

The Cheshire East Council has agreed to temporarily accommodate several individuals and families working as “locally employed staff” in support of British forces in Afghanistan. Additionally, longer-term accommodations will be provided for five families.