Blab Politics
Sesame Workshop CEO Credited With Saving Sesame Street Crew During Afghanistan Evacuation
When the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021, a group of Sesame Street producers, performers and crew members found themselves stranded at the airport, a scene that could have ended in tragedy. For 48 nonstop hours, Sesame Workshop chief executive Sherrie Westin worked to secure a flight for the team—a rescue effort that insiders have dubbed "Operation Big Bird."
The drama unfolded after the United States completed its withdrawal on August 30. The Afghan co‑production of the American children’s series, Baghch‑e‑Simsim, had been airing on local television since 2011 and was a staple in Afghan households. According to data, more than 80 % of children with television access watched the show, and it was credited with filling a critical gap in early education for an estimated three million kids. In a country where, at the time, 60 % of the youngest generation—two‑thirds of them girls—were unable to finish school, the program’s emphasis on literacy and inclusion was especially valuable.
The Taliban’s rapid takeover brought new threats to the production. The organization had previously targeted Afghan media, and an editor of Baghch‑e‑Simsim was killed in a 2016 suicide bombing aimed at media workers. The show’s focus on literacy, particularly for girls, made it a target for the new regime.
During the evacuation, the Sesame Street team—among them a nine‑month‑pregnant puppeteer who performed the character Zari—boarded a bus to Kabul airport. They were denied access to the airport’s last flights out of the country. Westin, a former assistant to the President in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under George H.W. Bush and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, reportedly leveraged her government connections to negotiate with senior U.S. military officials.
Military officials have said that Westin’s intervention was the decisive factor that allowed the crew to leave Afghanistan safely. Westin herself has declined to publicize her role, but the story was revealed this week by filmmaker Perri Peltz. Peltz presented the Literacy Partners 40th Annual Gala award to Westin at Pier 60 in New York City and announced that she is developing a documentary about the rescue.
The rescue operation highlights the complex relationship between U.S. foreign policy, media freedom, and humanitarian concerns in conflict zones. While the U.S. withdrawal was officially completed on August 30, 2021, the Taliban’s rapid consolidation of power left many foreign nationals and Afghan allies in precarious positions.
Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit organization that produces Sesame Street and other educational content, has a history of engaging in global social impact initiatives. Westin’s leadership has overseen the organization’s expansion into international co‑productions, including Baghch‑e‑Simsim, and its partnership with the International Rescue Committee.
The incident underscores the risks faced by media personnel in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have documented a sharp increase in censorship and persecution of journalists since the Taliban’s return to power, with restrictions on women’s participation in media and the removal of many local television stations.
As of now, the full details of Westin’s negotiations remain confidential, and no official statement has been issued by the U.S. military or Sesame Workshop confirming the specifics of the rescue. The only publicly available information comes from Peltz’s presentation and the general accounts of the evacuation.
The story remains a recent development, and further information may emerge as the documentary in progress is completed. For now, the rescue operation stands as a notable example of an individual’s influence on the fate of a group of media professionals during a chaotic geopolitical transition.
The drama unfolded after the United States completed its withdrawal on August 30. The Afghan co‑production of the American children’s series, Baghch‑e‑Simsim, had been airing on local television since 2011 and was a staple in Afghan households. According to data, more than 80 % of children with television access watched the show, and it was credited with filling a critical gap in early education for an estimated three million kids. In a country where, at the time, 60 % of the youngest generation—two‑thirds of them girls—were unable to finish school, the program’s emphasis on literacy and inclusion was especially valuable.
The Taliban’s rapid takeover brought new threats to the production. The organization had previously targeted Afghan media, and an editor of Baghch‑e‑Simsim was killed in a 2016 suicide bombing aimed at media workers. The show’s focus on literacy, particularly for girls, made it a target for the new regime.
During the evacuation, the Sesame Street team—among them a nine‑month‑pregnant puppeteer who performed the character Zari—boarded a bus to Kabul airport. They were denied access to the airport’s last flights out of the country. Westin, a former assistant to the President in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs under George H.W. Bush and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, reportedly leveraged her government connections to negotiate with senior U.S. military officials.
Military officials have said that Westin’s intervention was the decisive factor that allowed the crew to leave Afghanistan safely. Westin herself has declined to publicize her role, but the story was revealed this week by filmmaker Perri Peltz. Peltz presented the Literacy Partners 40th Annual Gala award to Westin at Pier 60 in New York City and announced that she is developing a documentary about the rescue.
The rescue operation highlights the complex relationship between U.S. foreign policy, media freedom, and humanitarian concerns in conflict zones. While the U.S. withdrawal was officially completed on August 30, 2021, the Taliban’s rapid consolidation of power left many foreign nationals and Afghan allies in precarious positions.
Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit organization that produces Sesame Street and other educational content, has a history of engaging in global social impact initiatives. Westin’s leadership has overseen the organization’s expansion into international co‑productions, including Baghch‑e‑Simsim, and its partnership with the International Rescue Committee.
The incident underscores the risks faced by media personnel in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have documented a sharp increase in censorship and persecution of journalists since the Taliban’s return to power, with restrictions on women’s participation in media and the removal of many local television stations.
As of now, the full details of Westin’s negotiations remain confidential, and no official statement has been issued by the U.S. military or Sesame Workshop confirming the specifics of the rescue. The only publicly available information comes from Peltz’s presentation and the general accounts of the evacuation.
The story remains a recent development, and further information may emerge as the documentary in progress is completed. For now, the rescue operation stands as a notable example of an individual’s influence on the fate of a group of media professionals during a chaotic geopolitical transition.
