Since our last update, the situation for several of the families we support has become even more fragile: both medically and politically.

One mother, whose daughters many of you know by name – Homa, Meena, and Rahela – is now in a very unstable psychological state. Her mental health has deteriorated to the point that she sometimes speaks incoherently, and she also suffers from severe osteoarthritis. She urgently needs an intra-articular injection, the same treatment we previously arranged for Shamsia’s mother. Without proper medical care, both her physical and mental condition are likely to worsen.

See here the situation at the hospital:
https://youtube.com/shorts/2dyhtEfjbrM

Bureaucratic traps

At the same time, this family is trapped in an impossible administrative situation. It is officially their turn for an interview at the Brazilian embassy, but the authorities have blocked their passports in the system, effectively blacklisting them. They have already paid very high penalties for each family member, yet they are still unable to obtain a visa or even reapply. Agents cannot help either, because the system rejects their passports outright. They are caught in a bureaucratic cage with no door.

For many Afghans in Pakistan, daily life is becoming more dangerous and unstable. Arrests have increased. Police checkpoints are everywhere, and Afghans – especially Pashtuns or even those with Pashtun-sounding names – are being stopped and detained, with no clear priority given to anyone’s release. Families are living in constant fear, never knowing who will be targeted next.

People become homeless in winter

At the same time, the weather is getting colder. Landlords are forcing Afghan families out of their homes, and some of our team members are searching day and night for a safe rental place for their elderly parents, so far without success. Weekends are not “rest days” for them; they are spent looking for housing and taking relatives to hospital appointments, scans, and emergency visits.

The health situation is worsening

One of our students, Mina, and her husband – both filmmakers working with the Afghan Women’s Journey team – recently travelled to the FFTA shelter in Swat to film a documentary. When they arrived, many children and families there were already coughing, sneezing, and suffering from severe cold-like symptoms. What first appeared to be a simple cold now seems to be a viral infection. Since returning, both of them have become seriously ill: vomiting, high fever, shivering, headaches, body pain, and difficulty breathing. They are now asking for access to proper treatment from our team doctor.

Another woman, Rahila, is facing a potentially life-changing medical condition. Our doctor suspects bilateral trigeminal neuralgia, a painful nerve disease affecting the face. She urgently needs to be seen by both a neurophysician and a maxillofacial surgeon. If the diagnosis is confirmed, she may require two to three planned procedures to identify and treat the affected nerve, likely involving root canal treatment. The estimated cost for this care alone is at least 300,000 PKR (approximately €1000), completely out of reach for a family living in legal limbo and constant fear.

On top of this, the quality and safety of medical care outside Islamabad can be shockingly poor. Two nights ago, our medical volunteer Nasir accompanied Wajih’s children to a hospital. While there, a Pakistani baby in even worse condition tragically passed away. Only five or six hours later did a “nurse” arrive to start CPR on the already-deceased child. And when Nasir introduced himself as medical staff from Islamabad, she admitted she was not even a real employee, only covering a night shift for a friend. This is the level of risk families face if they need urgent care in these areas. For pregnant women and newborns in our group, this is not an abstract fear. It is a daily, existential risk.

Despite all of this, many of the women are not seen and heard. So we are sharing these stories on their behalf, with their consent, to show you the reality behind the numbers on this petition: real people, with names, faces, children, chronic illnesses, and dreams that are on hold.

Your support – your signatures, your shares, your willingness to keep paying attention – matters. It keeps pressure on decision-makers and helps us raise the funds needed for urgent medical care, and, ultimately, evacuation to a safe country where these families can rebuild their lives in dignity.

Your help

If you can please give whatever is possible. If all of us give €5 or 10, we can make a world of a difference.

💸 Donation Details

Name: HeartWork Stichting

 https://heartwork.earth/peacework

We will continue to update you as we can, even when the news is heartbreaking. As Rumi reminds us:

"And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter.
It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.” 

Thank you for standing with them in this long, difficult winter 🙏