Terre des Hommes hosted two parliamentary events last week. The focus was on our work in Afghanistan and Ukraine. All interested members of the German Bundestag were invited to learn about our issues and our work and to discuss them with us.

We organized the event on Afghanistan together with the Kabul Airlift and the International Rescue Committee, both of which work on Afghanistan. The main goal was to convince members of parliament of our demand to continue the Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan (BAP). The BAP, launched in 2022, created a pathway for particularly vulnerable Afghans to safely reach Germany. However, the program's funding is at risk, and the ongoing negotiations for the 2025 federal budget represent the last chance to secure its continuation. The event also featured works by Afghan artists from the "Hope in Darkness" project, supported Terre des Hommes .

The second parliamentary breakfast focused on Ukraine. Our co-hosts were UNICEF and the two Ukrainian organizations NUMO and Stan, with whom Terre des Hommes implements projects for children in Ukraine. The latter were able to provide firsthand information about the current situation in Ukraine. Our demands to the members of parliament are that the aspect of children's mental health be included in all aid measures. We also demand that inclusive youth participation be promoted at all political levels in Ukraine, and that smaller, local projects, which are usually very familiar with the needs of the people on the ground, be given special support. Terre des Hommes has been active in Ukraine since 2022 and has implemented 50 projects for children and their families to date.