Afghan Evacuees Face Uncertainty in Qatar: A Betrayal of Trust

Thu Mar 19 2026 04:12:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

After the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, evacuees are trapped in Qatar with no clear path to resettlement, voicing feelings of betrayal from the US government.

Afghan evacuees in Camp As-Sayliyah, Qatar, are facing an uncertain future after the US government announced the closure of the camp, halting their promised resettlement. Many evacuees, including Alia, express feelings of betrayal and fear returning home to Afghanistan due to safety concerns, particularly amid rising tensions in the region. As US support wanes, the anxious families seek security and a way out of their distressing predicament.

For 18 months, Alia has been waiting in a transit camp in Qatar for her promised resettlement to the US.

But now that route appears to have closed for good. Where she and hundreds of other Afghan evacuees will end up next is unknown.

Going back home to Afghanistan is not an option. It is too dangerous, Alia says. And since the US and Israel began a war with Iran, the evacuees are not safe where they are either.

We have been betrayed. Not by the American people, but by those in government who had promised to take us to safety in America, says Alia, who worked as a lawyer in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over the country in 2021.

The camp – a former US army base – is where thousands of Afghan evacuees have been processed for resettlement to the US under Operation Allies Welcome, which was launched by the Biden administration after the return of the Taliban and the chaotic US withdrawal.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it would close the camp by 31 March and that the evacuees would not be taken to the US, plunging hundreds like Alia into fear and uncertainty.

Their anxiety has surged since Qatar started to be hit by Iranian attacks. CAS is roughly 12 miles (19km) from Al-Udeid US air base, which has been repeatedly struck by Iran.

The group has collectively sent out this message: The danger is not directed at Qatar itself, the actual targets are American bases in Qatar one of which is us... The emotional situation of children, pregnant women and the elderly is concerning. People wander about the corridors and cry.

Latif, another evacuee who worked at a US base in Afghanistan, expresses similar sentiments, stating he feels betrayed despite his dedication to supporting US efforts during the Afghan conflict. He breaks down as he describes the distress not only he but his family is enduring in the stark uncertainty of their future.

Evacuees like Alia remain hopeful for a change in circumstance as they continue to appeal for help from the US government, longing for the safety and stability they were promised.