In all, 148 Afghan women who had been college students in Bangladesh ended up in the U.S. They were able to flee thanks to an extraordinary effort orchestrated by their university, private businesses and government officials across the world. Sixty-four of them arrived at Arizona State University last December—including Oranous Koofi, 25, who escaped Kabul with only her cell phone, and Masooma Ebrahimi, 25, a refugee for the second time in her life.
Author: Lisa Patel
Dr. Lisa Patel is a Howard fellow at the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is a former U.S. diplomat and an international development expert well-versed in foreign policy and global health issues, especially in South Asia. She has a Ph.D. in maternal and child health.