Afghans on Wednesday faced an increasingly desperate race to escape life under the Taliban after President Joe Biden confirmed U.S.-led evacuations will end next week.
More than 80,000 people have been evacuated since August 14, but huge crowds remain outside Kabul airport hoping to flee the threat of reprisals and repression in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Mr. Biden said on Tuesday the United States would stick to his August 31 deadline to completely withdraw its troops despite warnings from European allies that not all vulnerable Afghans would be able to leave by then.
“The sooner we can finish, the better... each day of operations brings added risk to our troops,” Mr. Biden said on Tuesday.
“We are currently on the pace to finish by August 31.”
Washington and its allies have been flying out thousands of Afghans every day on hulking military transports, but it has become an increasingly difficult and desperate task.
Many Afghans fear a repeat of the brutal five-year Taliban regime that was toppled in 2001, and violent retribution for working with foreign militaries, Western missions and the previous U.S.-backed government.
Women’s rights
There are particular concerns for women, who were largely banned from education and employment and could only leave the house with a male chaperone during the group’s rule in the 1990s.
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect any progress made over the past 20 years.
“Our goal must be to preserve as much as possible what we have achieved,” she said.
Kabul airport has been gripped by chaos as U.S.-led troops try to maintain a secure perimeter for evacuation flights, surrounded by desperate Afghans.
Some have foreign passports, visas, or eligibility to travel, but most do not. At least eight people have died in the chaos.
“Does anyone ... ANYONE ... have a contact inside the airport,” pleaded one American on a WhatsApp group set up to share information on how people can access the airport.
“My guy worked for us 2010-15 and needs to get out with 5 of his family. This is real bad.”
The Taliban have also been accused of blocking or slowing access for many trying to reach the airport, although they denied the charge again late Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Germany said on Wednesday it has got assurance from a Taliban negotiator that Afghans who have the right documents will still be allowed to leave Afghanistan after August 31.
Germany’s envoy Markus Potzel said on Twitter he had met with Taliban deputy chief negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who “assured me that Afghans with legal documents will continue to have the opportunity to travel on commercial flights after August 31”.
