Family of Afghan refugees reunited in Vancouver after years of separation
Abdul Bashir Hashimi is starting off 2022 with a full heart. His family is by his side and they are settling into a new life in Canada.
Four years ago, Hashimi was forced to leave his wife Nabila and four children – daughters Maryam, Zainab and Bahar, and son Mohammad Yahya – behind in Afghanistan as he searched for a better life. He arrived in Canada as a refugee, and now that he has obtained his permanent residency, his family is able to join him.
They arrived at Vancouver International Airport in early December.
"I was so happy,” said Hashimi. “I was not sure that I’d see them again alive. It was (such a) difficult time, but I'm happy now.”
“Thanks so much to Canada for giving me this situation,” he added.
People in Afghanistan face a rapidly growing humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, half of Afghanistan’s population are facing extreme levels of hunger, millions of children are out of school and the fundamental rights of women and girls are under attack.
Farmers and herders are also struggling amidst the worst drought in decades and the economy is in a free fall since the Taliban seized power. Without international aid and support, tens of thousands of children are at risk of dying from malnutrition, as basic health services have collapsed.
Canada has committed to welcome at least 40,000 refugees and vulnerable Afghans into the country. According to officials, this will be done through several programs, including a special immigration program for Afghans who assisted the Canadian government and a humanitarian program. Some 7,140 Afghans have arrived since August 2021. Earlier this week, a flight of 200 Afghan refugees landed in Vancouver.
"Please help them, help the people of Afghanistan, especially woman. It's now a suffering time for them. I am so upset," pleaded Nabila Hashimi.
Her husband said he decided to settle in Vancouver because “it has the best weather in Canada.” Due to the upheaval, his children have not been able to go to school for quite some time, but they should be able to start up again within the next month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.