‘Nobody wants to live in this situation’: local Afghan refugee watches media coverage of his home country

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) – It’s only been eight months since Milad Ghaznavi fled to Durham after leaving Afghanistan as a refugee and the 18-year-old has already fallen in love with pizza and Chick-Fil -TO.

In January, he and his mother were able to find a new home in Bull City with the help of World Relief Durham.

“I always wanted Afghanistan to be free,” Ghaznavi said.

It was in 2016, his father was threatened by the Taliban and forced to leave. His father and older brother were able to flee to the United States. However, Milad and his mother had no choice but to stay in Afghanistan.

“(The Taliban) came after my father to kill himself,” he said.

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Listening to him remember what life was like and what he sees on television is unfathomable to many.

“There are explosions,” he said. “Explosives in schools, mosques; nobody wants to live in this situation. “
In January 2021, he was finally able to find his father and older brother. However, other family members were not fortunate enough to move to the United States.

“They are terrified. They are sad. They are depressed,” he said of other women in his family at the home. They cannot go out because they are afraid. (The Taliban) are in the streets with the guns. So no one wants to leave their house, because of their fear. “

He says that the departure of former President Ashraf Ghani this weekend surprised many people and made the situation even more real.

When Milad was in seventh grade he started to learn English. After his arrival, he assigns ESL classes to help him become more comfortable and speak English. He also hopes to become a computer engineer.

He hopes to return to Afghanistan one day; but only if the situation is very different.

“If there is peace in my country,” he said. “if we have human rights in my country.”