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Images of thousands of Afghans desperately trying to flee their country following a hasty U.S. withdrawal have provoked an international outcry.

As of Aug. 22, 2021, some 6,000 U.S. troops were working to evacuate U.S. military, American citizens and Afghans who are approved for Special Immigrant Visas. SIVs are a special program to protect Afghans who risked their lives working for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Germany, France, Italy and the U.K. are conducting smaller evacuation efforts for their nationals and some Afghans.

The pace of these poorly planned evacuations has been slow. They are taking place amid chaos in Kabul, where crowds are being confronted by violence from members of the now-ruling Taliban and U.S. forces and facing checkpoints that are near-impossible to pass.

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A cheeky Twitter challenge between 2 authors aims to raise $500k for refugees.

The velvet-voiced 'American Gods' author could soon be doing a very special reading.

Like so many of the world's great stories, this one involves a couple of well-known authors, half a million dollars in charity, social media, and The Cheesecake Factory.

It began when author and comedian Sara Benincasa issued a somewhat silly challenge to fellow author Neil Gaiman on Twitter: If she could raise $500,000 for charity, would Gaiman commit to hosting a staged reading of The Cheesecake Factory's (surprisingly lengthy) menu?

Much to Twitter's delight, Gaiman said yes and selected the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as his charity.

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The UN wants to help refugees in an incredible call to action.

As the UN meets to develop a global plan for refugees, there's something we can all do.

On Sept. 19, 2016, the United Nations General Assembly gathered to discuss one of the most pressing issues of modern times: the world refugee crisis.

More than 65 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced, including an estimated 21.3 million refugees. Each day, conflict and persecution displace nearly 34,000 people.

It's a crisis that can no longer be ignored. The UN has called a summit of world heads of state to develop a blueprint for a better global response.

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Can you imagine being forced to flee from your country and live in a refugee camp? Well 10% of the world has, with the average stay in a camp being around ... 12 YEARS. The tents people are made to live in at the camps do not insulate heat or provide electricity.

In comes Ikea. Recognizing that the UN Refugee Agency hasn't advanced their tents over the years, Ikea partnered with UNHCR to create smart, flat-pack housing designed in a durable, easy-to-transport-and-set-up Ikea kinda way.

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