A year under Taliban rule, Afghans fear Canada has left them behind

Thousands of Afghans who worked for Canada's military and aid programs remain trapped under the Taliban.

On the day the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Sadia fled her office in Kabul and hid at a friend’s house. A manager at a Canadian-funded women’s project, she knew what the return of the Taliban meant.

A year later, she is still hiding.

“Canada left us behind,” said Sadia, 32, whose real name Global News is not using because she feared retribution. “We helped Canada. They should not forget us.

“They should take us out from here.”

Since the Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, 2021 amid a U.S. military withdrawal, about 17,000 Afghans have arrived in Canada through a resettlement program.

But thousands whose work for Canada has put them at risk remain stuck in cities like Kabul, while others are in limbo in neighbouring countries like Pakistan.

“They’re in one of two very bad places waiting for word from Canada on what’s going to happen to them,” said Lauryn Oates, executive director of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.

Those facing the greatest risk are Afghans who worked for the Canadian Armed Forces or Canadian development programs, according to groups trying to help them.