My husband’s parents were Second World War refugees, relocating Afghans is a complicated project

The pictures of desperate people crammed into a sewage channel at Kabul airport are now starting to be replaced by happier pictures of families arriving into the UK, relieved to be alive and safe.

Local councils and charities have been overwhelmed with contributions. Some of the necessary accommodation has already been found. The UK’s exit from Afghanistan may have been ignominious, but this country can once again bask in its reputation for generosity towards those in need. Operation Warm Welcome – who invents these names? – is in full swing.

Every now and again someone ventures a warning. Generosity can wear off once the immediate crisis leaves the news. How come accommodation for large families is suddenly available, when some have been on the social housing lists for years? Where are the school places going to come from? People are waiting three weeks to see a GP; isn’t the NHS already stretched?