Afghanistan: Coventry charity appeals for clothes for refugees
BBCA charity has said it is in desperate need of clothes as it prepares to help refugees from Afghanistan.
Carriers of Hope, in Coventry, is appealing for clothes and shoes for more than 100 men.
It comes after many of the local authorities in the West Midlands offered to house Afghan families.
Birmingham City Council has pledged to host 80 families, the first of whom, it said, were starting to arrive in the city.
Thousands of Afghans have been trying to flee the country after the Taliban seized control of the capital Kabul.
The UK has agreed to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the next few years, including 5,000 this year.
Katie Wilson, who runs the clothing project for Carriers of Hope, said it was supporting three hotels for refugees in Coventry, one which opened last week mainly with men from Afghanistan.
"There are over 115 people living the hotel, most of them arrived without even a change of clothes, many of them were in flip flops or barefoot," she said.
"They just absolutely need everything... and we just can't keep on top of the demand."
She said some of them had arrived with injuries, like broken legs, while others had rat bites from the awful conditions they had been living in.
Ms Wilson said there were some families in the hotels already, and the charity already had a good supply of clothes for women and children.
Getty Images"It breaks your heart, I must have helped 100 men with clothes the other day, but the ones you remember are the ones crying by your car saying they have nothing and you feel like you have failed because you can't help everyone," she said.
The new plan to take refugees is in addition to an existing scheme for interpreters and other Afghans who have worked for the UK government - the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which was launched in April.
In all, Coventry City Council said it had offered homes to 60 former Afghan interpreters and their families since 2014.
Its deputy leader, Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, added it remained "committed to supporting those seeking refuge and asylum".
As well as the 80 interpreters and their families being rehoused in Birmingham:
- Wolverhampton City Council has pledged to accommodate 80 people
- Sandwell Council said it was committed to housing 20-25 families, with one already accommodated last week
- More than 20 Afghan interpreters and their families will also be rehomed in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
- Dudley Council said it would take 20 Afghan families in the borough
- Warwickshire Council said as part of the Home Office resettlement plan for Afghan nationals, around 100 refugees would be welcomed into the county
- Herefordshire Council said it had pledged to resettle 125 refugees by 2025
Elsewhere, Solihull and Telford & Wrekin councils said they would be working to offer assistance where they can, while Shropshire Council said it had issued an urgent appeal for landlords across the county to help with the effort of finding suitable homes for those in need.
It said anyone wishing to donate goods could contact Shropshire Supports Refugees.
Lichfield District Council said those arriving would need mental health support and access to education, food, medicine and other resources as well as somewhere to live, but said it would work with local organisations to make sure refugees are resettled safely.
Worcestershire County Council said it would be receiving families through the ARAP next month, but details on further schemes were still being discussed.
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