- The UN refugee agency stated that there is no “clear way out” for Afghans who may be in danger, and most people cannot leave the country.
- According to a NATO official, more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul since the Taliban took over the capital.
- UNHCR once again called on neighboring countries to keep their borders open and allow asylum seekers to enter.
Geneva-The UN refugee agency said on Friday that most Afghans cannot leave their homes and that those who may be in danger have “no clear way out.”
The spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Shabia Mantoo once again called on neighboring countries to keep their borders open to allow people to seek asylum based on what she called an “evolving crisis.”
“The vast majority of Afghans cannot leave the country through conventional channels,” she said at a news conference in Geneva. “Today, there is no clear way out for those who may be in danger.”
Mantu said that only Afghans entered the “small movement” in Pakistan and Iran. Since fleeing their homes in the past few decades, these two countries have taken in 90% of the 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees.
A NATO official said on Friday that more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul since the Taliban took over the Afghan capital. As criticism of the West’s handling of the crisis has increased, NATO officials have promised to double their evacuation.
Mantu welcomes the evacuation of Afghan nationals through such separate bilateral programs, but emphasizes that they should not replace “emergency and broader international humanitarian response.”
She added: “Under this ever-changing background, UNHCR remains concerned about the risk of human rights violations of civilians, including women and girls.”
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