Many Afghan refugees are in the U.S. as parolees, without a clear path to citizenship. Their parole is set to expire within months.

The informal network of exchangers are making money available in ways banks can’t, says Cambridge research fellow Nafay Choudhury.

Homa Sorouri spent years working with international aid organizations in Afghanistan. It’s “dreadful,” she said, to see the work they did disappear.

The Taliban has taxed everything from government projects to international trade.