• THE huge wave of support for refugees from Ukraine is heart-warming and shows the care for each other that we showed during the pandemic was not a one-off.

We wish that the same response could have been made for the refugees from Afghanistan.

Instead of the possibility of a warm welcome in a home, they are stuck in a commercial deal with hotels, not knowing when they may be moved to a completely different part of the country.

Apart from the stress this causes, on top of the trauma of their escape from Afghanistan, this has to be a much more expensive option for the government.

We affirm our belief in the fundamental equality of all people. We call on the government to offer all refugees the possibility of community or individual sponsorship.

And we ask people who are donating so generously to Ukraine to not forget the people of Afghanistan and Yemen, facing starvation that can only get worse as food prices go through the roof.

CAROLYN HAYMAN
on behalf of Hampstead Quakers