26 Nov 2021
A young vet who has been forced into hiding and remains in fear for her life following Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan issues plea for support from UK veterinary profession; BVA says it will do what it can to help.
James Westgate
Job Title
Image © SOMKID / Adobe Stock
An Afghan vet living in fear for her life in Kabul has issued a desperate plea for help from the UK profession.
Vet Times has been contacted by the woman, who has asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals after being forced into hiding following the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August.
Under the Taliban regime, women have found their rights severely restricted, and the young veterinary surgeon has been forced to quit her job and stay indoors.
But despite efforts to disappear, Haida (not her real name) believes her life remains under threat after a female veterinary colleague was asked to a meeting with Taliban officials last month and has not been seen or heard from since.
She said: “Since the Taliban took Kabul, I lost my job, I lost my freedom, I lost everything. There is nothing left in Kabul for me.
“It was 15 August when the Taliban came to Kabul and on that day I was told by my colleagues to go home because the situation is not good. I was just in a state of shock and did not know what to do. Everyone was in shock.
“During that time, I just cried. I then received a phone call from an unknown number asking me to come to the main department of Three District with my father. I got so scared and panicked.
“So I reached out to other colleagues and told them about the phone call, and they told me I should not go because another friend of mine and female vet had received the same call and she has just disappeared.”
After hearing about her friend’s sudden disappearance, Haida was advised to destroy her SIM card and move to a new address in the city.
The perilous situation is heightened by the fact Haida is a Hazara Shia, a denomination of Islam heavily persecuted by the Taliban.
She said: “Right now I am afraid that if they find out I am texting or sending emails to get help, maybe they will do something bad with me also.
“I can’t even call with my phone as I hear the Taliban can track the phone and also check text messages, so the only thing I can use is Gmail and WhatsApp if I want to stay safe.
“Our lives are under threat and those who worked for foreign organisations feel their lives are at risk, too. I hear there are other women who have shared their stories and no one knows where they are.”
Haida studied for five years at Kabul University Veterinary Science Faculty, and had enjoyed a full and varied working life as a vet – treating animals, administering vaccines and performing surgeries.
Now she sits behind curtained windows, dreading a knock at the door – and she is not alone.
“It is not just me, a lot of women who worked as vets in my country also need help,” she added.
“I studied hard to become a veterinary surgeon, we all did. We worked hard and we competed with the men, but right now we cannot do it anymore because we are not allowed to.
“Right now I am sitting at home doing nothing, scared for my life – I cannot imagine that being the only thing left for me.
“I want a future for me and all the other women who want to work as veterinary surgeons, because we did our best to become vets. But right now we are all hiding at home.”
Some of Haida’s former veterinary colleagues and friends were evacuated from the city by UK charity Nowzad in September under Operation Ark, but many female vets are still facing the bleakest of futures under the Taliban.
She said: “I am so happy for those vets who were able to get out from Afghanistan, because there is no future for female veterinarians in this country.
“But for those left behind, the future is so unpredictable. I never imagined my life like this – I just don’t know what to do now.
“I just want to ask the veterinary profession in the UK for help, and they can do that just by talking about us and our situation.
“We just don’t want people in the UK to forget about us – I wanted to share my story, but also all of our stories because there are a lot of vets in Kabul and in Afghanistan who need help as well.”
After being contacted by Vet Times about the case, the BVA has promised to do what it can to help Haida and others in the same situation.
BVA president Justine Shotton said: “Like everyone we have been deeply troubled by the current situation in Afghanistan, and this upsetting account really hits home the daily struggles and safety fears that our veterinary colleagues and their families face.
“Since the start of this humanitarian crisis, the BVA has been monitoring the situation closely and working with others to make the case at the highest levels in Government for veterinary professionals and their families to be given safe passage to the UK and supported in resettling.
“This included supporting the humanitarian rescue efforts of Operation Ark, and writing alongside the RCVS and BVNA to the prime minister to draw attention to the plight of Afghan vets and paraprofessionals.
“We will raise this individual’s case with colleagues who are closely involved in rescue efforts, as well as continuing to develop support packages for those who have been granted asylum in the UK.”
