U.K The army has left Kabul, and U.S. military personnel will withdraw from Afghanistan before the August 31 deadline set by U.S. President Joe Biden.
But there are concerns that thousands of Afghans may be eligible for the resettlement plan, and they will not be able to go to the Kabul airport for evacuation or not be dealt with in time.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson It was stated on Sunday that if the Taliban regime wants diplomatic recognition and aid funds, they must ensure “safe passage” for those who want to leave.
In a joint statement with the United States and more than 90 other countries, it was confirmed that the Taliban had stated that anyone who wanted to leave the country could do so.
The joint statement said: “We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizens who have obtained travel permits from our country will be allowed to travel to the place of departure and travel abroad in a safe and orderly manner.”
Prior to this, British troops had evacuated 15,000 people from Afghanistan in nearly two weeks, which is believed to be the largest evacuation operation since World War II.
The British ambassador to Afghanistan Sir Laurie Bristow has stayed in the country and moved the embassy to Kabul Airport to handle as many evacuees as possible. He returned to the UK on Sunday.
He vowed to continue to help British nationals and Afghans who remain in the country but still need help.
He said on the runway of the British Royal Air Force Britz Norton in Oxfordshire: “We have to leave Afghanistan now, and the embassy will temporarily operate in Qatar.
“We will continue to stand with the Afghan people and commit ourselves to humanitarian, diplomatic and security work. The most important thing is to bring Afghans and British nationals who still need our support to the UK. We will put pressure on the Taliban to keep them safe. The passage of those people.
“We will reopen the embassy as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to protect the achievements of the past 20 years. The most important thing is to help the Afghan people achieve the security and peace they deserve.”
Lieutenant General Ben Ki, the director of Operation Pitin, admitted that there is a sense of “grief” that not everyone can save.
He said: “Although we have acknowledged and proved all the achievements of the coalition forces, especially the British task force, in the past two weeks, in the end we know that some people are really sad. Those of us who desperately want to leave, no matter how hard we work, They all failed to evacuate.”
He added: “Extraordinary efforts have been made in the past two weeks. And I think we have always known that we will fail somewhere.”
Due to the threat of terrorist attacks, after the official recommendation earlier this week was changed to advise people to stay away from the Kabul airport, the ministers stated that anyone who can reach a third country can be dealt with and fly from there to the UK.
But some people worry that the Taliban will not allow this because there are reports of roadblocks.
Among those trapped in Afghanistan is the wife of a British shopkeeper who was killed in a terrorist attack at Kabul Airport on Thursday.
23-year-old Zohra Popal burst into tears when describing the pain of losing her father Musa Popal and begged the government to help her mother return home.
She said the family felt “ignored” by the Foreign Affairs, Federal and Development Office, and the office has not been contacted since his death was confirmed.
Mr. Popal, 60, was one of three British citizens killed in the suicide attack, including a child.
Mohamed Niazi, a 29-year-old Uber driver from Aldershot, Hampshire, was also among the victims.
Ms. Popal said she was worried about the safety of her 60-year-old mother Salema and family members she thought might be targets of the Taliban.
The attack killed more than 180 people, including 14 American service personnel.
On Sunday, Mr. Biden went to meet with the families of the victims.
In a video uploaded to Twitter on Sunday, Mr. Johnson praised more than 1,000 military personnel, diplomats and officials involved in the operation in Afghanistan.
He said: “The British army and officials worked day and night under tragic conditions until the deadline was merciless.
“They have exhausted all their patience and care, and think they have the power to help those whose lives are in danger.
“They witnessed brutal terrorist attacks on the people they were trying to comfort and our American friends.
“They didn’t back down. They stayed calm. They continued to work.
“Thanks to their tremendous efforts, this country has now processed, inspected, reviewed and airlifted more than 15,000 people to safety in less than two weeks.”
At the same time, officials stated that the target of the U.S. airstrike was a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from Isis-K, the so-called Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, before they were able to target the U.S. The evacuation at Kabul Airport, officials said.
