ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Ukrainian refugees may make their way to join the large Ukrainian community in Rochester. As the city prepares for that possibility, the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Center said it is still trying to house Afghan refugees.

It’s been less than a year since refugees from Afghanistan fled their country when American troops pulled out.

Ahmad Abrihimi works at the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Center, which helped his family make Rochester home after fleeing Kabul, Afghanistan.

“We saw the fear, like people were really afraid,” said Abrihimi. “Everyone was kind of shocked, like how does this happen or what’s happening? I think of it as a bad dream.”

Abrihimi was a translator for the United States embassy. He said it only took about three weeks between the time his supervisors warned him something bad was going to happen, to getting on the last U.S. plane with his wife and young daughter, leaving their home country.

“We had thousands of people outside our gates yelling and shouting 'we need help,'" Abrihimi said. "They helped as much as they could. Two young boys, they had jumped from the wall and over the wall. We had barbed wires and he was bleeding… and he wasn’t aware of the blood coming from his hands, his shoulders, his foot.”

It is hard to forget the images of the thousands of people clamoring to get on planes to America at the Kabul airport as the Taliban took over. Now imagine seeing that desperation in person, leaving family members behind, and finding out after arriving in a new country that your wife is pregnant with twins.

“Then we were really shocked… we didn’t know that it was twins,” said Abrihimi. “New city, new place, new people, new neighborhood, new home, everything is new for us and still is new."

Luckily, Abrihimi had the help of the center. Now he helps translate for other Afghans and helps accommodate the dozens of refugees the center cares for who have come from all over the world.

Djifa Kothr is the executive director of the center. He and his family came as refugees to Rochester from Togo in West Africa more than 20 years ago. He said his first question when he saw Ukraine in crisis is how can they help, but right now the center is still feeling overwhelmed trying to settle Afghans into the area.

“We thought about it, but it’s like, are we going to be able to finish with the Afghans before Ukrainians come in? If Ukrainians start coming in, I don’t know where we’re going to house them,” said Kohtr.

He said the cost of living here is just too expensive.

“The price of housing has gone up dramatically since the last year or two years ago,” said Kohtr. “So it’s that stress of how do we get new properties and how do we get a new house to resettle.”

Abrihimi still has family in Afghanistan. His mother and 16-year-old sister fled to Pakistan after he left.

“Help yourselves. That’s what she’s saying the last time she advised me… how can I help myself?” asked Abrihimi.

Kohtr said the center is working on reuniting his family here. Kohtr said if you want to help the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Center let them know of a house that is vacant or if you plan on selling a property. The center is also working with the city to acquire more vacant properties.

For more information about Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, click here.