Officials said on Thursday that four California families were still trapped in Afghanistan after visiting relatives in Afghanistan during the summer vacation, while two families had returned to the United States.
These families are from El Cajon, a suburb east of Santiago, where there are a large number of refugees. Many families have traveled to Afghanistan so that the children can meet their grandparents in May and early June. Taliban Took over the government.
U.S. government officials and California Republican Representative Darrell Issa have been trying to get the other four families to evacuate safely, as the other two families landed in San Diego on Wednesday night.
“Under extremely difficult conditions, we have more work to do,” Issa said in a statement.
For more reports from the Associated Press, please see below.
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Fraidoon Hashemi is an Afghan who works as a community liaison in the Cajon Valley Unified School District. He said he has been in contact with these families and is waiting for news from those who stayed on Thursday.
He said he was increasingly worried because of news that two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked Afghans who flocked to Kabul airport on Thursday.
“We hope to hear from them as soon as possible,” he said.
Both families who arrived in San Diego on Wednesday night had children from preschool to high school. Hashemi said that after the tragic experience, they are still shocked.
“They are all right now,” he said. “They need to calm down and forget what they saw.”
Hashimi said that the El Cajon family includes a total of 16 parents and two dozen children, some of whom have witnessed shootings and other violence in and around Kabul Airport in recent days.
After the Afghan government quickly collapsed and the U.S. troops withdrew, the families were stopped by groups of Afghans at the airport and sought help from U.S. officials.
After relatives in one of the families reached out and said that their children would be late for the school year beginning on August 17, the school district became aware of the problem.
These families each traveled alone on different dates and did not participate in organized trips.
Secretary of State Anthony winked It was stated on Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be waiting to be evacuated from Afghanistan. It is unclear whether this includes all El Cajon families. Some are U.S. citizens; others have U.S. residency.
Hashmi said that despite the travel warning issued by the U.S. government, many people still feel an urgent need to travel to the country after being unable to meet with extended families due to the travel ban due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Most El Cajon families came to the United States on special immigrant visas after working for the US government or after working for the US government. American armies Officials said that in Afghanistan. Visas only allow individuals and their spouses and children to enter the country.
Superintendent David Miyashiro said that these families are particularly scared as the deadline for the United States to complete its withdrawal on August 31 is approaching.
Miyashiro said he could not provide more details because the children and their parents may be in danger.
Shekib Rahmani/Associated Press Photo
