This year's Eid Al-Adha celebration was marred by difficulties for a group of 150 Afghan refugees who recently arrived in Brazil. Forced to spend the significant Muslim holiday at an informal camp in the Sao Paulo airport terminal, they faced food and hygiene shortages, as well as a surge of scabies cases.
These refugees fled persecution by the Taliban, who took control of Kabul in August 2021. Seeking refuge in Brazil, one of the few countries issuing humanitarian visas to Afghan nationals, over 7,000 Afghans have arrived in the South American nation.
However, Brazil lacks a comprehensive program to welcome refugees, leaving many of them stranded at the Sao Paulo airport without proper accommodations. In 2021, a makeshift camp was established at the terminal, where waves of Afghan refugees stayed for up to four weeks until they found permanent housing.
Earlier this year, the federal government, along with local authorities and non-governmental organizations, managed to transfer all the refugees to shelters and clear the terminal. However, as new groups continued to arrive, the camp was reestablished. By early June, over 200 refugees were sleeping at the terminal.
The local government has been distributing hot meals to the refugees, and relief groups have provided assistance. However, numerous challenges persist, ranging from insufficient food supplies to a lack of access to regular bathing facilities.
Aline Sobral, a Muslim activist who has been aiding the refugees at the airport since the crisis began, shared that the government had included sausages made of pork in the hot meals provided to the refugees, highlighting some of the challenges they face.
The past few weeks have been particularly difficult for Afghan refugees in Brazil. The number of refugees at the terminal continued to grow, but no additional help was provided. This led to the first cases of scabies being reported, affecting more than 20 individuals, including children.
Despite the hardships, the refugees found solace in their faith during Eid Al-Adha. Aline Sobral emphasized that even in adversity, Muslims continue to worship Allah. Although there was no special food available at the airport, they still came together to pray.
Shabir Ahmad Niazi, an Afghan refugee who arrived in Brazil seven months ago, spent one month at the camp upon his arrival and understands the struggles faced by his fellow countrymen. He explained that they couldn't organize a proper Eid Al-Adha celebration due to the lack of special food or gifts. Instead, they focused on prayer and shared moments together.
Niazi, along with his brother and friends, founded the Afghanistan Refugee Rescue Organization, dedicated to finding solutions for the Afghan refugees' challenges in Brazil. The psychological toll of being far from their families and uncertainty about when they will reunite is particularly difficult during holidays.
In Afghanistan, Eid Al-Adha is celebrated with new clothes, visits to relatives, and sharing special meals. In Brazil, Niazi and other activists attempted to organize a visit to a mosque, but it proved impossible. Despite the limitations, they brought candy for the children and tried to bring moments of happiness amid the problems they faced.
During the special prayer on Eid Al-Adha, Sheikh Hosnir Badawi, Aline Sobral's husband, expressed concern about the sanitary conditions at the terminal. In adherence to Islamic teachings, he encouraged the refugees to maintain a safe distance from each other during prayer due to the ongoing disease outbreak. Only a small portion of the camped refugees participated in the prayer due to their somber and dispirited state.
Two days later, the camp was cleared again as all the refugees were relocated to a shelter in the coastal city of Praia Grande following media coverage of the scabies outbreak. However, many, including Sheikh Hosnir Badawi, fear that the camp will be formed once more.
"Afghans will continue to arrive, and there is no program to adequately welcome them," he expressed, highlighting the pressing need for a comprehensive support system for the refugees. Shabir Niazi recently traveled to Brasilia to discuss the refugee crisis with authorities, presenting his project called "First Shelter." The initiative aims to establish a temporary shelter where Afghan refugees can learn about Brazilian culture and receive Portuguese language lessons. Niazi emphasized the importance of educating newcomers about the risks of human trafficking, an increasing concern among the Afghan refugee population.
Without an appropriate system to address the challenges faced by Afghan refugees in Brazil, the problems will persist. The implementation of comprehensive support measures is crucial to ensure the well-being and integration of these vulnerable individuals into their new host country.