Matilda Head
The Nowzad animal shelter, run by ex-marine Pen Farthing in Afghanistan, is seeking support from UK Government to grant safe passage for skilled veterinary staff and their dependents
The Nowzad campaigns: Operation Ark and #RescuetheRescuers
Animal welfare activists launched the #RescuetheRescuers campaign to support the Nowzad, and the Mayhew, animal shelters in the capital of Afghanistan. With Kabul now occupied by Taliban soldiers, hundreds of animal lovers supporting the campaign are petitioning MPs for the evacuation of Nowzad staff.
Alongside the push for evacuation of shelter staff, Pen Farthing created ‘Operation Ark,’ to raise £200k for a plane charter to save 98 dogs and 88 cats from the violence of the capital city. Farthing confirmed in a Facebook Live that the animals requiring serious medical care will likely be put to sleep, a fate he argues is kinder than leaving them to the Taliban.
Nowzad helps Afghanistan’s animals live healthier and happier lives
Nowzad was established in 2006, following a heartwarming story of Farthing’s bond with a stray in Helmand province, Afghanistan. When he was due to return home, he couldn’t leave behind the dog that had kept him company during his tour.
As well as assisting soldiers in rescuing animals they bonded with during their service, Nowzad provides high-quality veterinary care. Over the past decade, they have put millions in donations towards training young Afghan men and women to become skilled veterinarians; a trade that is in high demand in the UK.
Western troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
Now that American and NATO forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan, the Taliban are rapidly gaining control of the country. With Taliban soldiers in control of the capital, the humanitarian work of Nowzad can no longer continue. The dedicated animal rescuers of Afghanistan are to be left at the mercy of the new regime.
Pen Farthing told the Evening Standard: “I need to get my staff out. There’s been absolutely no communication from anybody in the Foreign Office (about) my Afghan staff, who are now in the most desperate position. They need to be taken out of Afghanistan. They’ve got to leave because of what we have done to this country. They are in danger.”
Many of the Nowzad staff are young women, working as vets and vet nurses following lengthy stints in education. Under previous Taliban occupation, women in Afghanistan were not allowed to work, or learn, in schools or Universities, leaving many fearing for the fates of the female Nowzad staff.
Save the vulnerable
“Their lives are now in danger. They need our help now.”
The campaign has gathered traction on social media, with animal rights activists Ricky Gervais and Dame Judi Dench providing their support. In a press release seen by Empoword Journalism, Gervais commented:
“Pen Farthing and his team Nowzad have done amazing work for over a decade in Kabul, they have saved thousands of dogs and provided work for the local community and instigated educational programmes which have benefited their community. Their lives are now in danger. They need our help now.”
Actress and animal-lover Dame Judi Dench has added to the discourse:
“So much constructive work will be destroyed. Pen Farthing and his team at Nowzad have achieved so much in terms of animal welfare and educational work benefiting the local community..particularly for the women Nowzad has sponsored to become qualified vets. All of their lives are now threatened by the Taliban.”
Finally, veterinarian Marc Abraham OBE said in support of rescuing the talented staff at Nowzad:
“We have a shortage of vets in the UK. Those remarkably committed vets who trained with and were supported by Pen Farthing and his inspiring team, their lives are now under threat by the imminent Taliban occupation in Kabul. Let’s save them..let’s get them here.”
How to help Nowzad Afghanistan
For more information on the work that Nowzad do in Afghanistan, you can visit their website.
Donate to assist in their mission to rescue the vulnerable staff, their families, and the animals from Taliban controlled Kabul.
Featured Image courtesy of Sasha Sashina on Unsplash. Image licence can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Matilda Head
Matilda is 20 years old and a Psychology student at the University of Cambridge. If not writing for her University papers or Empoword, she'll be reading, listening to a musical theatre soundtrack or playing with one (of many) of her pets. You can find her on TikTok @matildasnewsroom.