Cincinnati's Afghan refugees are here. Now they need your help

Most of Greater Cincinnati's expected Afghan refugees are here and in the process of being resettled.

In need of housing, transportation, healthcare and more, 46 refugees are receiving aid through Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio. That agency was directed by the federal government to assist the region's 50 Afghan refugees in finding a new home.

It's not clear when the four other Afghan refugees will arrive.

In September, Governor Mike DeWine announced that 855 Afghan evacuees would be coming to Ohio through the U.S. Department of State’s Afghan Placement and Assistance Program.

The program is designed to provide Afghan evacuees with initial relocation services as they begin to rebuild their lives in the United States.

As the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban seized control earlier this year, more than 70,000 at-risk Afghans were evacuated from Afghanistan and brought to the United States, according to figures from the Department of Homeland Security.

Many refugees helped American efforts in Afghanistan and fear Taliban reprisals against family members in Afghanistan. Catholic Charities declined to offer local families for interviews citing their "privacy and safety."

Before being admitted to the program, evacuees go through a process of security vetting and health screening with the Department of Homeland Security.

For Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, the transition has been smooth so far, with volunteers stepping up to help.

“Volunteer engagement has increased dramatically over the past few months,” the agency said in an email statement to The Enquirer.

Volunteers help with transportation to appointments, assisting refugees with moving into their homes and more.

Several other agencies in Ohio are aiding refugees, including the International Institute of Akron in Akron; US Together in Cleveland; Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services in Cleveland; U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Cleveland; Community Refugee and Immigration Services in Columbus; US Together in Columbus and US Together in Toledo.

To learn more about how you can help Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement program, visit https://www.ccswoh.org/programs/refugee-resettlement-services/.

Refugees are also expected in Northern Kentucky, but details weren't immediately available.

USA TODAY contributed

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Are there refugees from Afghanistan in Cincinnati? Yes