For weeks, the threat of further chaos and suffering Afghanistan It has always been from the heart, and the pressure is enough to trouble the re-election campaign of prime ministers half a world away.
Now, everything that was once frightening is here.
“This is a very difficult day. Not only for the Afghans, but also for people around the world, including Canada, who have been deeply committed to the Afghan people for a long time,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his Choose to speak to reporters during the election campaign requested on August 15.
A moment ago, the country’s acting chief of defense staff was outspoken.
“On the last day, our evacuation operations have stopped,” General Wayne Al said at a media conference.
Throughout the briefing, Al emphasized the hard work of Canadian soldiers, who have been trying to get desperate people into Kabul Airport and board the dozens of allied aircraft that have been operating outside US-controlled airports since August 19. Military evacuation flight.
He said many people did not sleep for several days while witnessing “terrible things”.
On August 22, 2021, during an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, a Marine and a child played. It was a few days after Kabul became a Taliban movement. The Capital Airport The chaos and panic scenes. Photo courtesy of CENTCOM-Balkis Press/ABACAPRESS.COM.
There are still many questions to be answered regarding the method of evacuation.
Why did it take so long to start evacuating those Afghans who risked their lives to help Canada?
Why do political and military leaders seem unprepared for the Taliban’s blitzkrieg?
What will happen to the people who are still on the ground in Kabul, now the Canadian government has officially warned: “You are responsible for the safety of yourself and your family.”
“They tore our souls apart”: Canada ended the evacuation work in Kabul because many people left
There is no answer to these questions, and no one knows whether the fate of those left behind will follow the Liberal Party’s re-election campaign like the terrifying image of the drowned Syrian refugee child in the 2015 Conservative Party election.
For now, it is obvious that Canada’s focus is shifting: from evacuation to advancing humanitarian assistance, and processing in neighboring countries that may receive a large number of asylum applications from those who can escape in the next few days. , And weeks and months.
The following is our understanding of what happened next.
Canada increases humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan
As officials in the briefing talked about the end of the evacuation work, the shift in focus became more acute.
Daniel Mills, Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, said he felt “the deepest regret” for those who stayed, but the government is entering another phase.
“Canada will begin to focus on the next phase of our operations,” he said.
“Therefore, in the coming weeks and months, we will work with international partners, including the United Nations, to carry out our humanitarian work.”
Soon after the briefing, the government issued a press release stating that Canada will increase humanitarian assistance to “trusted” organizations working on the ground in Afghanistan.
Although the government has allocated US$27.3 million for Afghanistan before this year, it is pledged to donate another US$50 million as the initial start of humanitarian work in the country.
According to any call from the Red Cross and the United Nations, more may be produced.
The assistance will be deployed through the government’s previous extensive cooperation organizations: the World Food Program, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The Canadian Department of Global Affairs said in a press release that these partners “have field operations capabilities in Afghanistan and in neighboring countries.”
“With the support of Canada, humanitarian partners will provide life-saving assistance, such as food, medical support, clean water and sanitation.”
Due to the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the advancement of the Taliban, more than 270,000 Afghans have been internally displaced this year. According to the United Nations.
In total, about 3.5 million people have been displaced in the country.
What will happen to those who fled Afghanistan?
In recent weeks and months, many displaced people have been fleeing to Pakistan, while others have decided to try walking to Europe.
The Associated Press reported some people trying to reach Europe through Belarus Arrested in the Baltic States To accuse the President of Belarus of letting refugees cross and enter the European border is an act of “hybrid war”.
The official who spoke on Thursday said Canada is now focusing on cooperating with neighboring countries, but did not elaborate.
Afghanistan borders Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, and Pakistan to the east. However, Canada does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, and there is no embassy in Turkmenistan or Tajikistan.
However, there is a small consulate in the capital of Uzbekistan, in addition to the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, and small consulates serving the cities of Karachi and Lahore in the country.
When asked whether it would increase the staffing of these consulates and high commissions to handle the increase in asylum applications for those trying to cross the border into Pakistan from Afghanistan, the Canadian Department of Global Affairs did not answer.
On Thursday, July 8, 2021, at a camp on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, an Afghan internally displaced girl who fled her home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel stared in her makeshift tent. (AP) Photo/Rahmat Gul).
Dave Perry, vice president of the Canadian Institute of Global Affairs, told Global News on Wednesday that he expects that Canada’s approach to helping people in need may reflect the approach taken by Kabul, which relies mainly on people going to the airport on their own.
“The situation will become: if you can leave Afghanistan, if you can reach the border, we will help you,” he said.
“But I think it’s obvious that we will not allow local Canadians to provide any real and substantial assistance in this kind of effort.”
An internally displaced Afghan woman and her daughter stand in front of a makeshift tent in a camp on a rocky land after fleeing fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel on the edge of the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, July 2021 Thursday, 8th. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul).
Rehana Patel of Islamic Relief Canada says that for many people, this may be easier said than done.
This non-governmental organization has worked on the ground in Afghanistan for about 20 years to promote literacy and reduce poverty.
“The current situation is that many displaced people have fled to Kabul. Many of these people are in that situation. Many of them use their life savings to try to leave the country, so even if they want to go home, they can’t. Go home,” she said.
“The most pressing problems at the moment will be those displaced in open spaces, as well as food insecurity. This country has been unstable for some time, with food, shelter, and water shortages, and the situation will only get worse. I think this This is where Canadians can step in and help as much as possible.”
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