Nowzad confirms that the Charity Commission announced today that Nowzad acted properly and transparently during its “Operation Ark” rescue mission in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021.
“We are pleased that the Commission’s findings, similar to the recent report by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, has absolved Nowzad of any regulatory infractions while highlighting the fact that we fully complied with charity law and protocols and acted transparently,” says Pen Farthing, founder of Nowzad Charity. “We are optimistic that our successful effort to evacuate more than 60 of our Afghan staff members and over 160 shelter animals will no longer be diminished by political distractions, but rightly celebrated.”
The Commission said it initiated a compliance case in 2021 to determine if Nowzad’s actions and Operation Ark were within the charity’s purposes and complied with charity law.
The Commission said it did not “identify any regulatory concerns about Operation Ark” and that the mission “did fall within the charity’s purposes.”
The Commission also concluded “the objectives of the operation were made clear to donors during fundraising, that trustees’ decision-making and actions during that time were reasonable, and that consequently it was valid to spend funds raised for Operation Ark on the evacuation of animals and staff from Afghanistan.”
During its Operation Ark mission, Nowzad facilitated the safe evacuation from Kabul to the UK of 67 staff members and their immediate family along with 68 cats and 94 dogs.
“Nowzad’s trustees are extremely pleased with the Commission’s findings and we appreciate their constructive engagement with our team,” said Nowzad Trustee Dan Tatsch.
“We are also grateful for the steadfast support and commitment we received from our donors and allies during this time. We look forward to closing this chapter and resuming our focus and energy on helping Nowzad carry out its important animal-welfare mission.”