Kabul’s 'Most Difficult' Evacuations by Country
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Aircraft from different countries of the world are pressing on with the evacuation of diplomats, foreigners, and Afghan staff from Kabul airport, and Washington warns its citizens against going to the airport.
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Evacuations from Afghanistan are extremely difficult and risky
Since last Sunday, aircraft from the whole world have participated in evacuating diplomats, foreigners, and Afghan staff from Kabul airport, whose vicinity is tightly under the "Taliban’s" control. US President Joe Biden calling the evacuations “one of the largest and most difficult airlifts in history."
Czech Republic
A Czech pilot returning from Kabul reported that flights from Afghanistan are taking place in difficult conditions, “with barely any air traffic control, no refueling and take-offs at own risk.”
United States
The United States plans to evacuate more than 30,000 US nationals and Afghan civilians through its bases in Kuwait and Qatar, knowing that it has so far evacuated more than 13,000 people since the beginning of the airlift operations, on August 14.
The United States Embassy in Kabul issued a security alert earlier today, advising its citizens “to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so.”
Last Friday, the US President declared that the massive evacuations from Kabul airport are among “the largest, most difficult airlifts in history" and that he cannot promise what the final outcome would be. This comes at a time when thousands of American and Afghan civilians are trying to flee the country.
NATO
While thousands of people were evacuated from Kabul airport, the "Taliban" Movement is accused of a door-to-door manhunt after it intensified its search for Afghans who had helped the NATO to arrest them and of harassing those trying to reach the airport.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “The paradox is that we have more planes than we have people or passengers because the process of getting people and especially Afghans into the airport process is now the biggest challenge.
Germany
After evacuating 1,600 people so far, Germany plans to deploy two helicopters to secure the evacuation operations and to remain on standby in case of the need to assist people who may encounter "dangerous situations" or are in remote locations.
Italy
The Italian Ministry of Defense announced that about 1,000 Afghans were evacuated or are in the process of being evacuated.
United Kingdom
For its part, the British government announced that it has evacuated 1,615 people, including 399 Britons, 320 diplomatic staff, and 402 Afghans.
France
Last Friday evening, a fourth evacuation aircraft coming from Kabul landed in Paris with 100 people on board, including 99 Afghans. So far, France has evacuated about 400 Afghan nationals.
Romania, Spain
Romania evacuated more than 260 people, while Spain evacuated 158 Afghans, most of whom arrived yesterday evening.
Austria
As for Austria, which does not have any special evacuation means, it succeeded in evacuating 2 of its nationals, while 85 Austrian nationals and Afghans residing in Austria remain stuck in Afghanistan awaiting their evacuation.
It is noteworthy that Kabul airport had witnessed chaos due to overcrowding caused by the urge of citizens to leave the country after the "Taliban" took control of the Afghan capital.
