Afghan Health Resources

The Washington State Department of Health welcomes all new Afghan community members to our great state of Washington. We stand in solidarity and partnership with the community partners working tirelessly to support newly arriving individuals and families. We're committed to identifying all of the ways we can help provide a healthy and safe future for our newest community members.

From 2010 to 2020, Washington welcomed about 30,213 refugees, including 4,166 Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. Over the past two to three years, Washington welcomed about eight percent of the nation's total Afghan SIV arrivals. The highest concentration of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders have arrived in King County, with some people resettling in Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties.

As of mid-September 2021, the U.S. Department of State has approved local refugee resettlement agencies in Washington to welcome 1,679 people out of the initial 37,000 people processed. The federal government anticipates needing to resettle more than 70,000 people through Operation Allies Welcome. Washington is expected to be in the top five states to welcome Afghan arrivals. More information on welcoming Afghans to Washington is available from the DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, including posters welcoming our Afghan neighbors.

The information below includes fact sheets, Webinars, videos, and other health resources to support new arrivals from Afghanistan.

Fact Sheets and Webinars

State agencies

DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance

Community resources

Afghan Health Initiative https://afghanhealth.org/
Afghan American Cultural Association https://www.aaca-wa.org
Diocese of Olympia https://www.dioceserroseattle.org/
International Rescue Committee https://www.rescue.org/united-states/seattle-wa
Jewish Family Service https://www.jfsseattle.org/
Kits For Peace / Essentials First https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/csd-office-refugee-and-immigration-assistance/welcoming-afghans-washington-state
Lutheran Community Services Northwest https://lcsnw.org/
MAPS – AMEN https://mapsredmond.org/amen/
MAPS – Muslim Community Resource Center https://mapsredmond.org/mcrc/
Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest https://risnw.org/
Refugee Women's Alliance https://www.rewa.org/
SCM Medical Missions https://www.scmmedicalmissions.org/
World Relief Seattle https://worldrelief.org/seattle/
World Relief Spokane https://worldrelief.org/spokane/
World Relief Tri-cities https://worldrelief.org/tricities/

Afghan culture and health

Webinar: Afghan Culture and Health Screening Considerations (Center for Excellence in Newcomer Health, including Washington State panelist)
Webinar: Best Practices for COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Among Afghan Communities (NRC-RIM with Washington State panelists)
Afghan Backgrounder (Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange)

Behavioral health

Webinar: Psychological First Aid (PFA) to Support Clients Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan (Switchboard)
Blog: Supporting Clients and Staff Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan (Switchboard)

Benefits eligibility

Apple Health Eligibility for Individuals from Afghanistan (Washington State Health Care Authority)
Information regarding federal and state programs available within Washington state to help support new arrivals from Afghanistan (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance)
New arrivals from Afghanistan are eligible for a health screening examination. Please contact the local health screening clinic to schedule an appointment.

Health outcomes