Dozens of female Afghan cyclists fear they will be left behind following international efforts to evacuate Afghan nationals targeted by Taliban sexual violence to safe havens ahead of the August 31 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal. According to [Cycling News, those in need of refuge are more than 200 women and men who have supported their "right to ride" revolution in recent years; a small group of displaced Afghans, consisting of more than 50 vulnerable Afghans, has been confirmed to have successfully relocated to various parts of North America and Europe. They include members of the Afghanistan Cycling Federation and the first women's national cycling team.

However, there are dozens of female cyclists who have traveled long distances from rural areas, and they were unable to reach the evacuation hub by the deadline; the hub is now closed.

These women are now at risk of targeted gender violence and face new logistical challenges in the process of relocating from Afghanistan.

"There are 220 women riding bicycles in the federation, as well as mountain bike and BMX riders. Right now I have about 70 riders I am working to evacuate," said human rights activist Shannon Galpin, who has been helping women and girls riding bicycles in Afghanistan since 2013, "and there are families of former national team cyclists who are living in Europe as refugees.

Galpin is working in parallel with efforts to add vulnerable Afghans to the international list of displaced persons and is also raising funds to support the costs associated with the evacuation and resettlement of those fleeing Afghanistan.

"When the airport closed, the pace of evacuation did not change, only the logistics. The pace of evacuation did not change when the airport was closed. Today is the 17th day, and we are evacuating multiple groups.

Sources close to the evacuation effort told Cycling News that a group of female cyclists waiting to depart escaped unharmed in the nick of time from twin explosions outside Kabul's airport last Thursday. As reported by Reuters (opens in new tab) and the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab), suicide bombings by the Islamic State have killed more than 100 people, including 90 Afghans and 13 U.S. soldiers.

After the Taliban seized control of most of Afghanistan 18 days earlier, on August 15, thousands were desperate to get out of Afghanistan before the August 31 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal.

The Taliban meanwhile also took control of all major airports except the one in Kabul, though travel to this hub was dangerous. In addition, the Taliban attempted to prevent civilians from escaping by blocking the roads leading to the airport.

The airport in Kabul is now closed and international efforts continue to bring vulnerable Afghans to the inland borders of Iran, Pakistan, and Asian countries, according to a report published by Reuters (opens in new tab) Wednesday.

The Taliban imposed extreme restrictions on women's freedom when they controlled most of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001. The Taliban imposed extreme restrictions on women's freedom when they ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996-2001. Today, the Taliban has regained most of Afghanistan, and any progress that has been made toward gender equality and women's freedoms (such as employment, education, and sports rights, including cycling) has been halted.

An international effort has been formed to speed up the evacuation process for vulnerable Afghans, including sportswomen and cyclists who have been targeted by Taliban violence; sports organizations around the world, including the UCI, have asked their governments for emergency evacuation of female athletes

"The U.S. has been the first country in the world to evacuate women athletes.

"If it was a struggle for an American passport holder to get through an airport gate, it was almost impossible for the Afghans. When it was finally confirmed that they had won the lottery to secure a seat on the plane, the majority were denied entry to the airport," Galpin reported on his recent situation on Instagram. [They were] humiliated, abused, and knowingly told false information. The plane was half empty, and it wasn't just one or two. We persuaded, pleaded, and jumped through endless hoops that changed by the hour to lead individual Afghan families through the ordeal that is the airport gate. The rules changed, we adapted, then changed again, then adapted again. But it was clear that the game was to keep Afghans from boarding the planes sent to evacuate them.

"I want to share that there are 12 members of the national team and 40 young women of the Afghanistan Cycling Federation who have survived this ordeal. We have sent the first generation of cycling leaders to safety. Some families have been separated for the past several years.

Cycling News understands that UCI President David Lapartient is working with authorities to find the best solutions to protect the riders and their families at risk in Afghanistan. In addition, the presidents of the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI), CPA Women, ACCPI (Italian Association of Professional Cyclists), and ASD Road To Equality are also involved in some of the evacuations.

There are also private efforts underway to evacuate vulnerable Afghans from Afghanistan.

Alessandra Cappelotto, president of CPA Women, said, "We can't be completely happy yet. 'Of course we are happy for the female athletes we were able to rescue, but we are very concerned for those still remaining in the area. We sincerely hope that all athletes will be rescued safely through international channels."

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For more information or to donate, visit Fundly's fundraising page Helping Afghan cyclists evacuate and resettle.

For more information on how you can help, click on the link for resources that are updated daily: resources to help Afghan refugees

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