British Red Cross volunteer asks Moray to welcome Afghanistan refugees with open arms

A WOMAN who supported refugees fleeing from Afghanistan has urged people to welcome arrivals in Moray with open arms and hearts.

Liz Tait spent 11 days in Dubai providing psychosocial support to people forced to seek safety in the UK after the Taliban seized control following the withdrawal of US and allied forces.

"It was an emotional 11 days but we are trained for that," she said.

Dubai was used as a staging post for those fleeing Afghanistan and then being taken to the UK.

"Our main job was to acknowledge what they had come from, the frightened state many were in and listen to them."

Some people had experienced the bomb blast outside the airport in Kabul which claimed dozens of lives.

Liz, a British Red Cross volunteer, revealed that in some cases people escaped the unfolding terror with just the clothes they were wearing.

"One couple arrived in Dubai with nothing, not even shoes on their feet. I was devastated I wasn't able to get them clean clothes or shoes, but I was able to get a second hand pair of Converse for the lady."

Many large families flew into Dubai on packed flights from Kabul, no toys or teddies for frightened children, just all they could carry in a 7kg bag and in other cases nothing other than what they were wearing.

Moray Council has agreed to take in around 20 Afghan refugees and Liz said the experience with Syrian refugees in recent years has been a positive one and she urged people to be open-minded about the Afghan people as they look to start new lives in Moray and elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

"One person who arrived in Dubai was a doctor and he said he hoped he could do something positive in the UK to help. I was able to General Medical Council website."

The head of clinical and care governance at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin and Health & Social Care Moray, Liz joined the charity’s psychosocial support team in 2005.

She said: “Our role is to respond to psychosocial requests from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development office when British nationals are caught up in a crisis.”

Liz was one of two psychosocial support team (PST) volunteers deployed to the International Maktoum Airpor in Dubai which was taken over by the UK and provided a brief stopover for the evacuees en-route from Kabul to the UK.

There were two shifts to cover with Liz on night shift and her colleague, Jan, on day shift. Liz said: “These large military planes normally carry 180 or 190 people, but regularly we were taking over 400 evacuees off these planes. They were all sitting on the floor of the planes - small children sitting in parents’ laps, toddlers sitting beside parents with an arm around them.”

“They were really frightened as some had very traumatic journeys trying to get through Kabul and had been separated on route,” Liz said.

Many people just needed their dignity restored by providing them with kindness and reassurance. Liz added: “Some of them were unwell, some of them were injured, most of them were very hungry as they had not eaten for several days.”

Liz recalled supporting a family who had a child with special needs.

She said: “His family was very concerned about what would happen to him. Would he be taken away from them? I was able to say he’ll be in mainstream education with all the rest of the children.”

There was an emotional moment when Liz talked to an evacuated interpreter as he went through security with his partner and children. As their bags were scanned, a soldier standing nearby, heard their conversation and asked the man his name and where he’d interpreted for the military. The soldier pulled his mask down and asked him “do you remember me, you interpreted for me.” Liz admitted that moment gave her goosebumps and was “almost in tears at that. It’s heart-warming to be part of these people’s lives.”

“Right at the end, as people boarded their flights to the UK, they expressed their gratitude and I found it quite humbling as I'm only doing what I've been trained to do over the years.”

When Liz is on call, she has to be ready to be deployed within six hours. The high-pressure environments she works in means she can be sent out for no more than 10 days at a time. The PST Volunteers on deployment are in regular contact with the wider Red Cross team back in the UK and receive regular support.

“Although the deployment was finished in Dubai and Kabul, our work will continue in the UK, but in just a slightly different way,” Liz said.

"I hope folk in Moray will welcome them and help to integrate them into Moray society."

Liz hopes to be involved in that effort as refugees arrive locally.

Marie Hayes, Scotland Director at the British Red Cross, added: "The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Cross and Red Crescent have been providing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan for over 30 years. We will not stop now.

"The British Red Cross is urging Scots to help meet people’s basic needs by donating to our Afghanistan Appeal. Your money can provide food, basic medical supplies and medicines, shelter and water."

The public can donate by going to redcross.org.uk