Kim Kardashian funds female Afghan football players' flight to UK
Popular television personality and business mogul Kim Kardashian has helped Afghan female football players arrive in the United Kingdom, as per reports. The women's youth development football team and their families were flown from Pakistan, where they were temporarily staying after fleeing Afghanistan when the Taliban took over. Many organizations, including football club Leeds United, have come forward to aid in the players' resettlement.
Why does it matter?
Ever since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan in August, they have been criticized for their treatment of women. Initially promising to uphold women's rights, the group has excluded women from the government and other public spaces. The women football players were reportedly being threatened by the Taliban when they fled the country to Pakistan using emergency humanitarian visas in September.
Kardashian funded charter flight that took 35 footballers to London
Coming to the recent evacuation, as many as 35 footballers and their families, taking the count to 130, reached London on Thursday morning. Although they were residing in Pakistan on their 30-day visas, they risked getting sent back if no other nation took them in before the asylum period was over. As per reports, Kardashian and her SKIMS brand funded the players' chartered flight.
Now, the players will spend 10 days in COVID-19 quarantine
'Extremely humbled by the courage shown by these girls'
"[We are] extremely humbled by the courage shown by these girls," Siu-Anne Gill, the chief executive officer of the ROKiT Foundation, said, adding how their courage has "inspired us to ensure that their efforts in getting over the border don't go to waste." ROKiT Foundation had organized their escape from Afghanistan. Leeds United has welcomed the players and their families, offering full support.
Read Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani's message here
Several female directors and singers have fled the country earlier
Notably, the players, who are part of the national junior girls' team, were originally set to travel to Qatar to be housed at a facility along with other Afghan refugees. But they were left stranded after a bomb blast at Kabul airport. Now, in the UK, they will have to plan their resettlement. Apart from them, several women—pop stars and filmmakers—have fled the country.
Meanwhile, Kardashian made headlines for her dating life too
Meanwhile, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star also made headlines for her love life. A source close to Kardashian told E! that the reality TV star was officially dating the Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson. Kardashian's divorce with Kanye West (Ye) is ongoing.
