Aug 26,2021:Western nations rushed to evacuate people from Afghanistan on Wednesday but acknowledged that many Afghans who helped during two decades of war would be left behind to face an uncertain fate under the Taliban when foreign troops leave next week.
The effort was taking place against a chaotic backdrop in the capital, Kabul, and its airport, where a massive airlift of foreign nationals and their families as well as some Afghans is under way and due to last until Tuesday.
Pressure to complete the evacuations has intensified amid concerns about the security situation outside the airport, where the Taliban are in control.
In an alert issued on Wednesday evening, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul advised U.S. citizens to avoid travelling to the airport. It said those already at a number of the airport’s gates should leave immediately. It did not give a reason why the alert was issued.
U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered all troops out of the country by the end of the month, spurning pleas from European allies for more time to get people who helped NATO countries during the conflict to safety.
The Taliban have said foreign troops must be out by the end of the month. They have encouraged Afghans to stay, while saying those with permission to leave will still be allowed to do so once commercial flights resume after the foreign troops go.
