Despair and fear in the final phase of the airlift between Afghanistan and the United States

The airlift remove foreigners and threatened civilians from Afghanistan under the new Taliban regime entered this Sunday in its final phase, just three days after the end of the American withdrawal from that country.

The vast majority of countries have ended their operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport and many admitted that they had not been able to save all the people expected.

Since August 14, the day before Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban, some 112,000 foreigners and Afghans were evacuated.

Meanwhile, the The US government has been adamant in its warnings of possible further attacks on the facilities. Once again, citizens were asked to vacate the premises.

“The situation there remains extremely dangerous and the threat of a terrorist attack at the airport remains high”the US president wrote in a statement after meeting with his military and security advisers.

THE BRITISH LEFT AFGHANISTAN

“The last flight carrying British armed forces personnel has left Kabul”the British Minister of Defense tweeted on Saturday, concluding an operation which allowed the evacuation of 15,000 people.

Hours before they had announced the take-off of the last civilian evacuation flight. According to Minister Ben Wallace, between 800 and 1,100 Afghans eligible for resettlement in the UK have been left ashore.

The operation “It went as well as he could” but it was “heartbreaking” not having “succeeded in getting everyone out,” admitted the head of the British armed forces, General Nick Carter.

OTHER COUNTRIES

Friday night was France, which announced the end of its airlift after having saved nearly 3,000 people since August 17.

The government explained that evacuations could not continue “Due to the lack of security conditions at Kabul airport” due to the “rapid withdrawal of American forces”.

In the previous days, many Western countries had ended their operations repatriation and evacuation (Germany, Canada, Australia, Spain, Italy, Holland).

Germany attracted 5,300, Italy 4,900, Australia 4,100, Canada topped 3,700, Spain more than 2,200. But the largest contingent of evacuees comes from the United States, which will maintain its operation “until the last moment”.

THE NEXT DAYS

France proposed the launch humanitarian operations with other allied countries to rescue those who remain on this airlift.

President Emmanuel Macron assured this Saturday that there are “talks” with the Taliban to “protect and repatriate Afghans and Afghans” at risk.

Italy declared itself “ready, with the United Nations and the countries bordering on Afghanistan, to work to ensure the possibility of dating these people who have worked with us over the past 20 years ”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured that will move “heaven and earth” to continue evacuations after August 31.

THOUSANDS AT THE AIRPORT

According to the latest American information on this subject, Saturday morning, about 5,400 people were still at the airport waiting to catch a plane.

Thursday night, a suicide bombing claimed by the regional branch of the Islamic State group left dozens of civilians and 13 American soldiers. Two health sources from the former government estimate the number of civilian casualties at at least 90, but local media put the toll at 170.

(With information from AFP)

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