A new report from the State Department said that US agencies trying to help Afghan refugees resettle experienced racism, sexism and verbal abuse from the evacuees they were aiding.

The Inspector General report focused on the resettlement of 72,000 Afghan evacuees who were granted humanitarian parole to enter the US after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and brought to the US in 2022.

“[Resettlement agency] officials told OIG that the [Afghan Placement and Assistance Program] involved some of the most significant challenges that they had ever faced,” the report said.

The agencies said one of the most significant issues facing the resettlement process in the past two years was the rapid in arrivals — compared to the 11,840 refugees they resettled in FY 2020.

They also said the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the process of housing.

In addition, some cited a lack of cultural understanding as a reason for “inappropriate behavior” from some refugees.

“For example, some RA staff reported experiencing racism and sexism from Afghan clients unaccustomed to the norms of U.S. society,” the report said.

Some of the evacuees refused to work with female case managers and minorities — even exposing some to “verbal abuse.”

“Many parolees had very high expectations and did not understand the role of local affiliates and would become frustrated with services and housing,” the report said.

The report also highlighted “unrealistic expectations” from some parolees regarding the resettlement process.

The report concluded that the resettlement was “an unprecedented and demanding effort that presented substantial challenges.”