Victims of U.S. Mistaken Identity Drone Strike

Victims of U.S. Mistaken Identity Drone Strike

My name is Melissa. I am fundraising for an Afghan refugee family that I met when they arrived in the United States. I've been one of the community members helping to support them and they have become very dear to my family. They need more financial help to allow them to afford the basics like rent and food as we wait for the U.S. government to issue condolence payments. Please read their story below and help if you can.

On August 29, 2021, Zemari Ahmadi, a humanitarian aid worker, was returning home after a long day of work. As he arrived, the excited children of his extended family rushed out to greet him. Tragically, the Pentagon had wrongly identified Zemari as a security threat and launched a missile from a drone. This devastating error resulted in the loss of ten lives, including Zemari and seven innocent children, when the drone detonated at their family home.

In the days that followed, his employer, family members, and several media outlets provided the government and the public with evidence that the drone strike had hit innocent victims. After the truth came to light on September 17, 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, admitted that Zemari had no connection to ISIS-Khorasan and that his activities on that day were completely harmless. He acknowledged that Zemari and his family were all innocent victims.

In response to this tragedy, the U.S. government committed to relocating the family and providing monetary payments for their unimaginable losses. Emal and Romal Ahmadi, two of Zemari’s brothers, are among the Ahmadi family members who have now been relocated to the United States. Romal and his wife Arezo, who lost all three of their young children in the drone strike, live in California with their eight-month-old baby. Emal and his wife Royeena, grieving the loss of their two-year-old daughter, live nearby with their surviving eight-year-old daughter, Ada.

Now that these family members have arrived in the United States, compensation discussions with the U.S. government can take place, but they will take time. In the meantime, Emal and Romal Ahmadi’s families are in urgent need of financial support.

They receive meager assistance from aid organizations, food stamps, unpredictable rent assistance, and support from compassionate members of the local community.

Please join us in raising funds to support Emal and Romal Ahmadi’s families during this incredibly difficult time. Your generous donations will help them cover living expenses and access essential resources as they wait for the monetary payments promised by the U.S. government. Their goal is to establish a new life here, heal from the unimaginable trauma, find work, provide for themselves, and be a part of a community. Thank you for your kindness and support. Every contribution makes a difference in the lives of Emal and Romal Ahmadi’s families.