NewsNation

Rescue mission gets Americans out of conflict zones

{(NewsNation) — On the one-year anniversary of U.S. troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, a volunteer group safely airlifted three American residents to the United States, while simultaneously conducting the same kind of operations in Ukraine.

The three American residents were visiting family in Afghanistan in March and April of 2021 when they became trapped during the Taliban takeover.


“The Taliban problem is with the Americans and green card holders,” Project Dynamo case manager Masouda Noorzad told NewsNation on Tuesday. Noorzad was once an evacuee, rescued from Afghanistan by the volunteer group Aug. 16, 2021.

Project Dynamo is a privately organized rescue group. They’re also been working to get Americans out of Ukraine.

”It was terrible. I was so scared. I went to Afghanistan to visit my family after a few years. So I was (at) breakfast, and I get a call the Taliban took over. I was shocked. I tried three times to get to the airport. The people were scared. People were fighting for their lives. I had a baby with me, so I was scared and just wanted to leave Afghanistan,” Noorzad said.

The families stuck in Afghanistan were forced into hiding with their families for more than a year, scared to leave their homes in fear of being caught by Taliban-controlled law enforcement.

“Some (members) of my families just lost their jobs because they are women. They can’t continue to do their jobs. So these are the problems in Afghanistan,” Noorzad added.

Project Dynamo co-founder Bryan Stern told “NewsNation Prime” that the organization is also very busy when it comes to the American rescue efforts in Ukraine.

“The Russians are aggressive, but the people need our help,” Stern said. Their only restriction is funding.