Operation Magic Carpet hopes to raise over £50,000 for ongoing living expenses.
A crowdfunding page has been launched to help fund the ongoing costs of vets and their families evacuated from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
Animal welfare campaigner Dominic Dyer has called on the public’s support to raise more than £50,000 for the unique rescue mission, dubbed Operation Magic Carpet.
The money raised will be used to meet the group’s monthly accommodation, food, utilities, medical bills and animal care costs until organisers can find them a safe and permanent home.
The page states: “The volunteers behind Operation Magic Carpet will oversee all aspects of raising and distributing funds to the individuals on the ground in Pakistan, through the team at World Trade Center Gibraltar, a Member of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), acting voluntarily.
“Any funds exceeding the ongoing requirements of Operation Magic Carpet will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).”
A collaboration between volunteers in Britain, Europe and the Middle East, Operation Magic Carpet managed to rescue 92 people at the end of November who were facing persecution by the Taliban.
The group included former staff members from the International arm of ‘Mayhew London’, of which 13 were vets, together with business executives, military and security specialists, along with their families. Dominic Dyer played a leading role in the mission alongside a British vet and a Jerusalem-based translator.
The initial funding for the mission came from two sisters who felt a connection with the plight of the Afghan people, based on their own father’s history. Donations were also received from private individuals and businessmen.
A spokesperson for Operation Magic Carpet said: “All 92 evacuees put their faith and trust in a group of complete strangers living thousands of miles away, people they have never met. Fearing for their lives, in a country on the brink of disintegration, they packed a single bag each, left their homes and everything they knew behind them and went into hiding.
“Now safer in Pakistan, the 92 people and their companion animals will be securely accommodated in Islamabad, while plans are made for moving them to a permanent home in Britain, Canada, or other nations around the world.”
At the time of writing, the campaign had raised more than £6,000 of its £50,000 goal. For more information and to donate to the cause, visit gofundme.com/f/fmjsar-operation-magic-carpet
Image (C) Operation Magic Carpet.
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