As chaos continues in Kabul amid a massive evacuation of Afghanistan and some other foreigners trapped in the country, the Taliban has deployed additional forces around Kabul’s airport on Saturday to prevent large crowds from gathering after a devastating suicide attack on Thursday.
New layers of checkpoints emerged on the roads leading to the airport, some of whom were Taliban fighters in uniform with Humvees and captured night-vision goggles from Afghan security forces. Areas where large crowds of people had gathered over the past two weeks in hopes of fleeing the country after the Taliban takeover were largely empty.
A suicide attack by an Islamic State affiliate killed 169 Afghans and 13 US service members on Thursday, and there are concerns that the group, which is far more radical than the Taliban, could strike again. Several Western countries have completed their evacuation operations ahead of Tuesday’s deadline for the withdrawal of all US forces.
According to the Associated Press, an Afghan working as a translator for the US military said he was accompanied by a group of people who were allowed to leave, who tried to reach the airport late Friday. After passing through three checkpoints, he was stopped on the fourth. An argument ensued, and the Taliban said they were told by the Americans to only let American passport holders.
After returning to Kabul, the man told The Associated Press, “I am very disappointed for my future,” speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “If the evacuation is over, what will happen to us?”
On Saturday, the Taliban fired warning shots and posted some kind of colored smoke on the road leading to the airport, causing dozens of people to disperse, according to a video broadcast online, according to AP reporting.
According to the US, more than 100,000 people have been safely evacuated through Kabul airport, but thousands more are struggling to leave and may not be evacuated until Tuesday.
In Kabul itself, hundreds of protesters, including many civil servants, gathered outside a bank, while countless others stood at cash machines. The protesters said they had not been paid for the past three to six months and were unable to withdraw cash. ATM machines are still working, but withdrawals are limited to about $200 every 24 hours.
The economic crisis, which predates the Taliban takeover earlier this month, could benefit Western nations as they urge Afghanistan’s new rulers to form a liberal, inclusive government and allow people to leave after August 31. We do.
Afghanistan is heavily dependent on international aid, which covers about 75% of the budget of the Western-backed government. The Taliban have said they want good relations with the international community and have promised a more liberal form of Islamic rule than they ruled the country last time, but many Afghans remain deeply skeptical.
The Taliban cannot access almost any of the central bank’s $9 billion in reserves, much of which is with the New York Federal Reserve. The International Monetary Fund has also suspended transfers of some $450 million. Without a regular supply of the US dollar, there is a risk of the local currency collapsing, which could push up the price of basic commodities.
Meanwhile, a United Nations agency has warned that the drought threatens the livelihoods of more than 7 million people. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said Afghans are also suffering from displacement from the coronavirus pandemic and recent fighting.
Earlier this month, the United Nations World Food Program estimated that some 14 million people – roughly one in every three Afghans – are in need of urgent food aid.
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The FAO said significant help is needed ahead of the winter wheat sowing season, which begins in a month in many areas. So far, the funding will support only 110,000 families of farmers, the agency said, while some 1.5 million need help, adding that the current crop is expected to be 20% less than last year.
President Joe Biden has said he will adhere to the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of all US forces. The Taliban, which controls almost the entire country outside Kabul’s airport, have rejected any expansion.
Italy said its last evacuation flight had landed in Rome, but it would work with the United Nations and countries bordering Afghanistan to continue to help Afghans who worked with their troop to leave the country. Was.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Saturday that “our imperative must be that we do not spare the Afghan people,” especially women and children. He said 4,890 Afghans were evacuated by Italy’s air force on 87 flights, but did not say how many others were still eligible.
The Taliban have encouraged Afghans to stay in the country, even pledging amnesty to those fighting against them. He has said commercial flights will resume after the return to the US, but it is not clear whether airlines will be willing to offer the service.
