E-Paper
Afghanistan crisis: 19,000 people evacuated from Kabul in last 24 hours, says US
Providing a break-up, the White House said 42 US military flights evacuated 11,200 people while 7800 people flew out on 48 coalition flights.
In its latest update on the ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, the United States said on Wednesday approximately 19,000 people boarded 90 evacuation flights out of Kabul in the latest 24-hour period. These flights, the US government said, included those operated by the US military and the ones operated in coalition with its allies.
Also Read | Tajikistan says Taliban have abandoned pledges to form broad-based interim government
“From 3am Eastern Time on August 24 to 3am Eastern Time on August 25, 42 US military flights carried approximately 11,200 evacuees and 48 coalition flights carried 7800 people,” the White House shared on its official Twitter handle. On the United States’ own evacuation efforts till now, it said, “Since August 14, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 82,300 people on US military and coalition flights. Since the end of July, we have re-located approximately 87,900 people on US military and coalition flights.”
The update came as the August 31 deadline to complete the evacuation process drew closer, with president Joe Biden resisting requests from G7 allies to extend the evacuations beyond the said date.
Also Read | Joe Biden decides to stick to August 31 pull-out deadline, say reports
Earlier, the Taliban, which, by capturing Kabul on August 15, seized power in Afghanistan for a second time, had also warned the US against extending the deadline. It is the return to power of the Taliban which has led to the current crisis in Afghanistan. The Kabul Airport, in particular, has witnessed dramatic scenes as Afghans, desperate to leave their country, have thronged it, hoping for a way out.
Also Read | Why did Biden choose August 31 as deadline for US withdrawal? Here's a timeline
In April this year, president Biden had announced all American troops in Afghanistan will have left by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In July, however, he brought the date forward to August 31. The Americans have been in Afghanistan since 2001 when they arrived here following the 9/11 attacks, and defeated the Taliban. The insurgents first took power in 1996.
