The quickly changing situation in Afghanistan is affecting people in Central Florida.
The attacks and deaths of service members drudged up painful memories for Donn Weaver.
“My first reaction goes back to Sept.10, 2010, when my family loaded into my car and we drove to Dover airport to receive the body of our son killed the day before, Sept. 9, 2010, in Afghanistan,” he said.
The veteran and chairman of the Brevard veterans memorial council said his late son 1st Lt. Todd Weaver was just 26-years-old when he was killed in Afghanistan.
Weaver said that is why his connection to the families that lost service members is a personal one.
“My heart goes out to them because there is no way to describe it, the reality doesn’t sink,” Weaver said.
While many have expressed shocking confusion about the unraveling situation in recent days, Weaver said he wasn’t shocked.
“I had hoped it wouldn’t happen, somehow nobody miraculously would be killed getting out, but I knew people would die or be tortured, especially our Afghan people that helped us so much, no way they got them all,” he said.
As images of the crisis in Afghanistan play on a loop, some Afghan Americans feel deeper pain, like Seema Azim.
“To be honest at this point I think there is a mixture of being angry but also heartbroken,” Azim said.
She said she has been following the events closely and will continue to advocate for innocent Afghan civilians and women.
“I’m a full-time medical student and it’s difficult to deal with the emotional stress of what’s going on back in Afghanistan and feeling a little hopeless about what we can do, but I have strong faith in Afghan people and Afghan women, they will overcome this,” she said.
Azim urges Americans to focus on those in desperate need of help and to listen to the demands of Afghan people.
“As Americans, we need to support them provide them aide, and continue evacuations of vulnerable women, we need to expand visas to women in need,” Azim said.