10 Dec 2021
Successful operation that evacuated 13 vets and their families – a total of 92 people – to Pakistan following Taliban’s takeover was spearheaded by British vet.
James Westgate
Job Title
Some of the Mayhew team evacuated as part of Operation Magic Carpet from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
A British vet has helped mastermind the evacuation of 13 vets and their families from Afghanistan.
“Operation Magic Carpet” has succeeded in rescuing the vets – 12 of whom worked for UK animal welfare charity Mayhew – along with their family members who were all at risk following the Taliban takeover of their country in August.
In what is one of the largest privately funded humanitarian evacuation missions undertaken since the US-led withdrawal from Afghanistan, the operation has managed to rescue a total of 92 people – including 30 women and 32 children, five dogs and one cat.
All those evacuated have been taken to Islamabad, Pakistan, from where it is hoped they will be able fly to a number of countries once arrangements have been made and their refugee status confirmed.
The vet behind the operation has asked to remain anonymous, but has spoken exclusively to Vet Times about her reasons for launching the stunningly successful mission.
She said: “I followed the Nowzad story and ended up speaking directly to one of the Afghan vets during her long journey from Kabul to the UK, and we became very close.
“At some point during that journey she asked me to help her friend who worked for a different NGO, a young woman who was stuck with her other veterinary colleagues and couldn’t get out.
“I wasn’t sure what I could do, but when she sent me the contact details of this girl, I just knew I had to reach out to her.
“The reality is that the first connection was the vet connection, but the compassion for me and the feelings were very much about being a woman – I’m a woman, I’m a mother, I’m a daughter, I’m a sister. It really makes you feel sick; it was churning my stomach.
“So, I reached out to this other girl and she said: ‘Please help us.’”
During the time Anne (not her real name) was following the Nowzad story, she reconnected with an old school friend – and they resolved to do what they could for the Mayhew vets and their families.
The pair then “emailed everyone” and used social media to contact people who may be able to help – and a few days later animal welfare campaigner Dominic Dyer got in touch.
Mr Dyer had been involved in the successful Nowzad evacuation in August and he quickly agreed to join the friends to launch Operation Magic Carpet.
Anne said: “The three of us ended up in a bit of working party – Dominic, my school friend and I. But obviously for me, this was very much about the connection of being a vet and a woman, and people being voiceless – there was something really horrible about that.
“And you know, this is what we do as vets – we help the voiceless. I couldn’t turn my back on them.
“It literally happened by us putting one step in front of another, but we just got on with it – and my friend, who now lives in Jerusalem, came across the name of someone she thought might be able to help move these guys out across the border.
“In the meantime, Dominic had spoken to someone he knew and that person was so instrumentally helpful for funding and fund‑raising.”
In a matter of weeks the operation had raised more than US$270,000 (£204,000) through private donations – not only to get the group out of Afghanistan successfully, but also to pay for them to be housed and fed in Islamabad.
Now the first part of their mission is done, Anne and the rest of the team hope to secure refugee status for the vets and their families before bringing them to live and work in the UK.
And that family has grown a little bigger in recent weeks after one of the Afghan vets gave birth to a baby daughter called “Anne” – named after the woman the new mum describes as the “mother of the mission”.
Anne said: “I was so incredibly touched to hear that and humbled really, but we still have a job to do for all of them.
“We are looking at lots of countries to try to get these people to, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to incorporate 13 vets into our struggling profession in the UK and to support then into being able to contribute?
“These are young people with their careers ahead of them – and while it’s going to be a massive journey for them for the next 3 years, what’s 3 years when you have potentially 30 years of contribution ahead of you?
“So, we really want help from the UK veterinary profession to achieve this; we will be setting up a fund‑raising page soon, but in the meantime I would urge all my colleagues to get in touch with their MPs to raise awareness of the plight of this amazing group of people.”
Since speaking to Vet Times, Operation Magic Carpet is now in contact with Haida, the Afghan vet who reached out to for help last month (VT51.48).
And while the team is hopeful it may be able to help her, for now the priority is to get the vets and their families new lives in a new country.
Mr Dyer said: “Due to the care and compassion of a small number of dedicated people, Operation Magic Carpet allowed us to go back into Afghanistan to rescue the animal rescuers, along with many other people who faced significant risks under the Taliban regime.
“Operation Magic Carpet could not help everyone, but this extraordinary band of committed individuals have done what they can for the Kabul 92.
“Every life is precious, and I will now be asking Britain and other nations to open their doors to these talented individuals who are looking for a safe place to call home.”
