‘It’s heartbreaking’: Afghans living in Sask. reflect on conditions in Afghanistan

Afghans living in Saskatchewan can only watch from afar as the Taliban takes over Afghanistan.

Susan Siasang and her sisters Qafia and Crystal moved to Saskatchewan in 2001 while most of their extended family found refuge in other places around the world.

Despite most of the family leaving the Middle East throughout the years, Susan says she is worried about what could await her family members that have stayed in the country.

“We’ve been just trying to keep in contact, trying our best to sponsor them over here, even before all of this going on,” Susan said. “But it’s been such a long and slow process with COVID, obviously, things got pushed back and then now with this situation it’s even harder.

“What is happening there now, it’s heartbreaking and this definitely doesn’t belong in the 21st century whatsoever.”

As of Tuesday, the international airport in the capital city of Kabul reopened to military evacuation flights with aid from U.S. troops — after thousands of Afghans flooded the airport the day prior in hopes of escaping the country.

Qafia shares the same grief as her sisters, saying it’s been difficult to see the outcome of a Taliban-controlled government.

“We are going back in time, any form of rights that they had gained over the last 20 years now has just regressed backwards,” Qafia said. “It’s so different from life over here.”

“I think it’s really important to spread awareness. I feel like the more that people talk about what is going on, the more people are going to spread the word and hopefully just try to help in any way they can.”

Siasang has hope for stability in Afghanistan while being thankful for the opportunities they have had while living in Canada.

“There would be no chance that me and my sisters would be able to be where we are now, have the education we have and the freedom and the rights that we have now,” Susan said. “If we weren’t lucky enough to leave when we did, we are just extremely grateful and my heart just breaks for the people that are there.

“We have so much to be grateful for in Canada, we just wish everybody could just experience this freedom and peace.”

Tahera Haussain is another Afghan that has been living in Saskatchewan for a number of years after she moved to Regina in 2008. She says she hasn’t seen her family since 2017 when she had last visited them.

Haussain said her mother, father, four sisters, auntie and uncle were living in Kabul as recent as just a few days ago. They were able to escape to Turkey before arriving in Ukraine on Tuesday.

“I cannot even express how nervous I was,” Haussain said. “For me to not be able to do anything. It’s very difficult, especially because I’ve been so far and away for so long from my parents.

“Last time I heard from my parents, they were just in shock. I’m just relieved that they’re alive and they’re safe.”

Haussain said her parents described the current state in Afghanistan’s capital as “chaotic” adding that many people are hiding in their homes in fear.

Senior U.S. military officials have said the chaos at the Kabul airport left seven people dead on Monday, including some who fell from a departing American military transport jet.

Canada has committed to taking in at least 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan who have already fled.