The United States and its allies have urged people to move away from Kabul airport due to the threat of an attack by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an August 31 deadline.

In the 11 days since the Taliban swept into Kabul, the US and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations in history, bringing out more than 88,000 people. The US military says planes are taking off the equivalent of every 39 minutes.

Taliban fighters have been guarding the perimeter outside the airport, thronged by thousands of people trying to flee rather than stay in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Al Jazeera’s Charlotte Bellis, reporting from Kabul, said about 1,500 US passport holders who are meant to be evacuated remained in the capital.

“The US and the Taliban have a deal. The Taliban are under strict instructions not to let anyone through without a passport, without a green card, without verified documents and there is confusion about what a verified document looks like,” she said.

She also said Kandahar airport has been reopened, giving hope that international flights will be possible even if Kabul airport closes down or has an interruption.

Meanwhile, there is a mounting humanitarian crisis in the country, with the World Food Programme saying about 14 million people are facing severe hunger in the nation of about 39 million.

source: Al Jazeera News

BDST: 1555 HRS, AUG 26, 2021
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