DOHA: More than 7,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan to Qatar, an official from the Gulf state said on Saturday, as thousands scrambled to leave Kabul via chaotic evacuation operations.

Qatar and the nearby United Arab Emirates have been instrumental staging posts for evacuation flights for Western countries’ citizens as well as Afghan interpreters, journalists and others.

“Since the start of international operations, over 7,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan to Qatar,” a Qatari official who declined to be identified said.

“At the request of NGOs, educational institutions and international media organisations, we evacuated hundreds of Afghan employees and their families, as well as female students across the country,” the official said.

That came “in addition to facilitating the evacuation of citizens from the United States of America, Germany and the United Kingdom, among others. Our evacuation effort is ongoing.” American officials have confirmed that evacuation operations had stalled for about seven hours Friday because the receiving base in Qatar was overcrowded.

Doha will eventually settle up to 8,000 Afghans, according to the Qatari official, who stressed that many of the 7,000 people currently in Qatar were transiting to third countries.

The UAE has also become an evacuation hub, with French authorities using the capital Abu Dhabi and Britain using Dubai as transit points for their nationals and approved refugees.

A total of over 8,500 people have transited the UAE so far, according to the government.

Six days after the Taliban swept to power, the flow of people trying to flee Afghanistan has continued to overwhelm the international community.

Roads leading to Kabul airport have been choked with traffic, while families hoping for a miracle escape have crowded between the barbed-wire surrounds of an unofficial no man’s land separating the Taliban from US and allied troops.

US President Joe Biden has called it “one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history”.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...