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Catholic Charities of Louisville says it is 'standing by' for Afghan refugees

While no refugees have come to Louisville yet, the organization says it is prepared to provide help to anyone who needs it.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As tens of thousands of people flee Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, leaders with Catholic Charities of Louisville said they're ready to welcome refugees to Kentucky, if they need to.

The nonprofit doesn't know how many refugees are heading to Louisville, or when to expect them, but they're in communication with other states and standing by for when they're needed.

"We're definitely on alert to make sure we're able and ready to accept some families from Afghanistan," said Colin Triplett with Catholic Charities of Louisville.

RELATED: Biden: Troops will stay in Afghanistan to evacuate Americans

Triplett said he doesn't know when the refugees to come to Louisville, since the screening processing is so intensive. The process, conducted through the Department of State, includes an 11-step security screening and medical testing to verify the identities of the people requesting entry to the U.S.

He said Catholic Charities has plenty of capacity to care for families who do make it to Louisville if they need assistance.

“I’ve worked with people who have resettled from Afghanistan and... that’s most likely some of their family members that are in that situation. It’s really hard to see,” Triplett said.  

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. has sent over troops, transport planes and commanders to transport between 5,000 and 9,000 people a day out of Kabul. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said evacuations from Afghanistan will continue until troops are removed from the county on Aug. 31.

While they haven't taken in any refugees yet, Catholic Charities of Louisville is always looking for volunteers. Click here for more information.

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