Restless
Mateullah, 4, watches cartoons with his sisters, left, Shogofa, 11, Kojesta,9, and Sumaya, 7, before going into his room to bed on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, at the Hollywood Casino & Hotel. The family has two hotel rooms side by side. The five oldest girls share one room with the parents sharing the other with their youngest two children. Housing placements and general relocation information for the refugee family as been inconsistent. The International Institute of St. Louis, contracted by the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees, as well as volunteer groups and the existing Afghan community, are struggling to quickly place them into homes due to short staffing at the agency and a housing shortage for larger families.