Afghan Evacuees in Qatar Camp Express Feelings of Betrayal Amid Uncertain Future

Thu Mar 19 2026 04:27:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

More than 1,100 Afghan evacuees, waiting uncertainly in Qatar, voice their fears and disillusionment as their path to resettlement in the U.S. appears to be closing.

Afghan evacuees, including those like Alia, have been waiting in Qatar's Camp As-Sayliyah for over 18 months for a promised relocation to the U.S. Their hopes are dashed as recent announcements indicate the route is closing. The evacuees feel trapped, caught between dangerous conditions in Afghanistan and instability in their current location, compounded by political developments and threats from Iranian attacks.

Afghan Evacuees in Qatar Camp Express Feelings of Betrayal Amid Uncertain Future

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

Alia - whose name has been changed for her safety - is among a group of more than 1,100 people evacuated from Afghanistan by the U.S. who are now stuck in limbo in Camp As-Sayliyah (CAS) in Doha.

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

Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it would close the camp by March 31, plunging hundreds like Alia into fear and uncertainty. Their anxiety has surged since Qatar started to be hit by Iranian attacks.

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.

They have appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to make a one-off exception for them due to the volatile situation.

These evacuees remind that their predicament should not be forgotten, as they were brought to Qatar by the U.S. government with the promise of safety in America. As they continue to wait, their hope dwindles amidst the uncertainty.