Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination (DEMAC), Afghanistan
On 16 August 2021 the Taliban announced that they had gained control of Afghanistan. The takeover resulted in a heated public debate about the two-decade war, the humanitarian implications of the withdrawal, and the future of women and civil society in Afghanistan. To capture Afghan diaspora engagement in the current political crisis, Meraki Labs conducted a Real-Time Analysis in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover in Mid-August.
The report, commissioned by DEMAC - Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination, takes two main approaches to data collection: 1) online media monitoring from 15 August 2021 to 30 September 2021 of 60 Afghan diaspora organizations, and 2) key informant interviews with representatives of ten ADOs, as well as Danish Refugee Council Diaspora Program staff. In this report we document the rapid response and self-mobilization of ADOs, as well as their efforts in fundraising and direct support in Afghanistan. The report also looks at some of the challenges faced by these organizations and provides recommendations on the way forward.
