People need safe passage out of Afghanistan - here's how you can help

It's hard to imagine the unspeakable suffering millions of Afghans are going through as they attempt to evacuate their country. Only a few have managed to find a flight to safety so far; and friends and families are facing separation as the Taliban’s return to power sparks fears and uncertainties about Afghanistan's future.

If you wish to help those who are trying to find a safe passage out of Afghanistan, Lonely Planet and The Points Guy—along with our parent company Red Ventures—are teaming up with Miles4Migrants; a nonprofit that uses donated frequent flyer miles to help "people impacted by war, persecution, or disaster reunite with loved ones and start new beginnings in safe homes."

Lonely Planet is matching up to $20,000 in donations to Miles4Migrants from our readers. To get involved, all you have to do is donate your airline miles, credit card points or travel vouchers via this landing page: miles4migrants.org/TPGLP.

How does the process work?

Generally it works like this: Miles4Migrants works with its partner nonprofits to identify an approved case in need of airfare. Once they connect with that person, Miles4Migrants' flight booking team will look at the best award flight options for them, and then match them with a donor who has pledged a similar number of miles (that's you!). Sometimes it can take a few weeks to find a match for a specific program or donation amount, at other times it can happen pretty quickly.

Once you make your pledge, a member of Miles4Migrants will contact you to talk you through the process. In the meantime, you can watch this video for more information.

If you don't have miles or points to donate, you can offer a cash donation instead. Cash donations are particularly helpful in allowing the team to cover associated airline fees such as taxes, departure and arrival charges, and fuel surcharges, when booking tickets for those in need. You can find out more about cash donations here.

Miles4Migrants efforts aren't restricted to Afghanistan. The organization partners with other nonprofits around the world "to help refugees, asylees, asylum-seekers, and their immediate family members who have legal approval to travel but cannot afford relocation airfare". To date, they have assisted around 5000 people in making a new start or reunite with their loved ones.