State Department Plans to Close Office That Aids Afghan Refugees
The US State Department has notified Congress that it will shut down the office that helped resettle Afghan refugees who assisted the American war effort, provoking an outcry from nonprofit groups that helped evacuate people when the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021.
The elimination of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts was disclosed in a letter to Congress outlining efforts to reorganize the department. A copy of the document was seen by Bloomberg News. The office's functions will be 'realigned' to the Afghanistan Affairs Office and the role of special representative for Afghan reconstruction will also be eliminated.
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