By Tamila Varshalomidze and Usaid Siddiqui 20 Aug 2021
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
The United States has evacuated about 3,000 more people from Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, according to a White House official, bringing the US evacuations tally to about 9,000 since August 14.
Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHC壯陽藥 R), has welcomed the evacuation of Afghan nationals through such separate bilateral programmes, but stressed that they should not substitute for an “urgent and wider international humanitarian response”.
“The vast majority of Afghans are not able to leave the country through regular channels,” she told a Geneva news briefing. “As of today, those who may be in danger have no clear way out.”
She reiterated the call to neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to allow people to seek asylum in light of what she called the “evolving crisis”.
A United Nations threat assessment report says Taliban fighters are conducting “targeted door-to-door visits” of people who worked with the US and NATO forces, increasing the fear of revenge.
‘Dialogue and communication’ way out of Afghan refugee crisis: China
China believes the “fundamental way” out of the refugee crisis in Afghanistan is to press ahead with “dialogue and communication” between factions concerned.
At a daily news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called for concerted international efforts to promote talks and to prevent further war and casualties in Afghanistan, while giving no indication that whether Beijing would help with evacuations.
Troops fire in air to control crowds at Kabul airport
Afghan soldiers fired in the air and pushed crowds gathered at the entrance of Kabul airport away as desperate Afghans tried to leave the country in the wake of last week’s stunning Taliban takeover.
Videos posted on social media showed Afghan soldiers firing over people’s heads as American troops lined up in front of a gate
Frustration was building at the airport as lines of US troops formed a barrier to crowds wishing to get onto the runway.
On Friday, the United States was struggling to pick up the pace of American and Afghan evacuations at the airport, constrained by obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to paperwork problems.
Germany provides funds for Afghan aid groups
Germany’s foreign ministry is providing 100 million euros ($116m) in emergency aid for Afghan refugees, that is to support international aid organisations helping Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries, a minister says.
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz announced the assistance, and told DPA news agency it was “a first step that shows we feel responsible and care”. Further aid is expected to follow.
Biden to make address on Afghanistan evacuations
United States President Joe Biden is set to make an address on the US evacuation effort in Afghanistan, amid criticism from refugee advocates and members of his own political party the effort has been too slow.
Biden has blamed Afghans for the slow start to getting out more allies ahead Taliban’s lightning offensive.
However, US officials told The Associated Press news agency that American diplomats had formally urged weeks ago that the Biden administration ramp up evacuation efforts. Tens of thousands of people are waiting to be evacuated ahead of the US’s August 31 deadline to withdraw from the country.
Under-fire UK foreign minister defends missed Afghan call
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has defied demands to quit after failing to make a telephone call to help translators fleeing Afghanistan, saying the Taliban’s rapid advance made contact impossible.
Raab was on holiday in Crete when his office was advised to call his Afghan counterpart to urge him to help evacuate local translators who had helped British forces. But the call was never made, leading to demands that Raab quit and accusations that Britain had abandoned the translators.
Raab defended his actions, hitting out at media reports as “inaccurate”. The call was delegated to a junior minister as he was “prioritising security and capacity” at Kabul airport, on the advice of those overseeing the crisis response.
Vatican newspaper calls on global community to welcome Afghans
The Vatican’s newspaper is calling on the international community to welcome Afghan civilians fleeing the Taliban, expressing incredulousness “that before deciding to abandon the country no one thought through such a foreseeable scenario or did anything to avoid it”.
In a front-page article in the Friday edition of L’Osservatore Romano, deputy editor Gaetano Vallini said the West was obliged to urgently remedy the situation with concrete action and welcome refugees to avoid a “catastrophic humanitarian emergency”.
The commentary was an unusually blunt criticism of the US, though Washington wasn’t singled out by name. After expressing shock at the chaos created by the US-led Western withdrawal, Gallini wrote: “It would be even more serious if such a decision was taken with the knowledge of such dramatic consequences.”
No incidents reported during Friday prayers in Kabul
Friday prayers were uneventful in the Afghan capital, with no Taliban gunmen seen guarding the entrances of mosques or enforcing dress code restrictions as they have in the past. Some mosques even saw higher numbers than normal in attendance.
“People were as normal, as in the past, but there were more of them,” Kabul resident Jawed Safi said, adding that there were “no restrictions so far”.
An imam in eastern Kabul, Bashir Wardak, said that Afghans should unite to stop the decades-long bloodshed. “Allah has ordered us to peace and brotherhood so we must get united,” he said.
Abdul Boghdi, another imam in northern Kabul, said that “people together should collect money to help those displaced”.
One attendee, Qasim Ahmadi, saw people wearing jeans attend prayers as usual. “There should be no restrictions on us, we are already Muslims,” he said. “The Taliban should aim for an inclusive government in order to be successful.”
