AS ROMA SET TO BECOME FIRST FOOTBALL CLUB TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN

The José Mourinho-led AS Roma players will don a special shirt during Sunday’s Serie A encounter against Sassuolo to voice their support and provide assistance to the people in Afghanistan.

The Serie A game, which is scheduled to be played at the Stadio Olimpico (kick-off: Monday, 12:15 am IST), will see a special patch feature on the sleeve of the Giallorossi shirts. The patch will contain the logo of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the international organization working for the plight of refugees around the world.

Additionally, the shirts donned by the players will then be auctioned off for charity, with all proceeds set to be donated to support UNHCR initiatives and assist the lives of people in Afghanistan during a time of grave concern.

Roma Cares, the club’s charity arm, has decided to provide a boost to this initiative on the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Convention on Refugees, which treasures the rights of displaced people in international law.

In doing this, the Italian club becomes the first football club to embark on a joint initiative with the UNHCR to come to the aid of the people in Afghanistan: supporting children, women and men who are currently experiencing a traumatic situation like never before.

Afghanistan is currently going through another severe humanitarian crisis which has seen an estimated 570,000 leave their homes since the start of the year. In total, around 3.5 million people are currently displaced and in dire need of assistance and around 80 percent of the count are women and children.

Chiara Cardoletti, the UNHCR representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino, quoted:

“We welcome the support that AS Roma and Roma Cares, with the assistance of our agency, want to give to the people of Afghanistan.

“Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, the UNHCR has chosen to stay in Afghanistan – a country where we have been working for more than 40 years – in order to provide assistance and save lives.

“This year alone we have supplied essential survival items to more than 240,000 people, but the need for such items grows hour by hour and the funds available are woefully insufficient.

“At times like this, even a small contribution can make a huge difference.”