Overflowing cargo plane with Afghan refugees: A record 823 people survived – Topka

In the case of this type of aircraft, this is a new record in the number of passengers. The American air force itself, which was quoted by the AP news agency on Saturday, informed about it. The Air Force Headquarters (AMC) wrote in a short statement on Friday that the original number of passengers on a C-17 aircraft, which took off from the Afghan capital Kabul last Sunday, was set at 640, but 183 children sitting by mistake were not included in the figure. on the knees of adults.

The statement also stated that the correct number of 823 passengers is a record for the C-17 strategic transport aircraft. It took off from Kabul Airport when the radical Taliban movement unexpectedly quickly invaded the city and took power in the country. This forced thousands of Afghans and foreigners to rush to the airport and try to leave the country – some of which managed to get on the runway.

The Taliban in Kabul are not releasing Afghans returning to work

Afghan government employees in Kabul were prevented by Taliban militants from returning to work on Saturday, the first day of the week. The information was provided by the AFP news agency. Since the radical Islamist movement took power in Afghanistan six days ago, government buildings, banks, passport departments, schools and universities have mostly remained closed. Only a small number of private telecommunications companies have been operating in the last few days. “I went to office this morning, but Taliban members standing at the entrance told us they had not received any orders to reopen government offices.” described the situation by a government employee Hamdullah. “They told us to watch TV or listen to the radio, announcing when the workplaces would open.” he added.

Source: SITA / AP Photo / Jafar Khan

After withdrawing US and foreign forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban unexpectedly quickly occupied the capital Kabul and took power. Such a sudden development of the situation amazed the world. In the chaos after the fall of the Afghan government, one of the main concerns of Afghans is whether they will continue to receive a salary. Most of the roads in the capital, Kabul, have been largely empty, as the Taliban have checkpoints and militants patrolling them. Roads leading to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the center of Kabul have also been closed, a ministry employee told AFP.

Source: SITA / AP Photo / Jafar Khan

“No one is allowed to enter the ministry building,” said the employee on condition of anonymity. “One of the Talibs even advised me to wait until a new minister and department directors were appointed.” he added. The foreign exchange market was also closed as it waited for instructions from the central bank, traders said. Another employee of Kabul City Hall said he was disappointed that the Taliban did not open offices. “I came with great hope, but I left disappointed,” he added. However, employees of the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction in Kabul could enter the building when they proved their identity, said one employee.

Representatives of Afghanistan and Punjir discussed the future of the province

The leader of the Afghan Supreme Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, has discussed with the leaders of the Punjab the future of this single province, which has not yet been conquered by the Taliban. Abdullah Abdullah met with tribal elders, religious scholars, officials and commanders from Punjir Province. Abdullah himself reported on Twitter, discussing “current developments in the country and ways to promote peace and stability.” Prominent Punjir officials have recently announced that they will not recognize the Taliban as legitimate leaders in Afghanistan.

Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan Zahir Aghbar said on Wednesday that Punjir would serve as a stronghold of resistance led by Vice President Amrullah Salih, who had declared himself the country’s interim president. The Taliban, which controlled most of the country on Sunday, did not conquer Punjir during its 1996-2001 government, despite the province being only about 100 kilometers from the capital Kabul. The Punjir lies in a mountainous valley, the entrance to which is narrow and therefore relatively easy to defend, the DPA analyzes.

Source: SITA / AP Photo / Jafar Khan

Punjir was the home of Ahmad Shah Masoud, commander of the United States-backed anti-Tibetan Northern Alliance. His assassination, which took place on September 9, 2001 – just two days before the terrorist attacks on the United States – was the fault of the Taliban and the al-Qaeda terrorist network, the DPA said. One of his closest allies was the current head of the HCNR, Abdullah Abdullah. On August 15, militants of the fundamentalist Taliban movement easily occupied the Afghan capital, Kabul, and overthrew a government that had been militarily backed by the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance for two decades. Thousands of people are still trying to get out of Kabul. Many Western states have closed their embassies there and are evacuating their citizens and local collaborators.

Leyen called on the international community to accept Afghan refugees

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen called on the international community on Saturday to accept Afghan refugees. She said this during a visit to the Spanish reception center for evacuees from Afghanistan. The AP agency informed about it. “Resettling vulnerable people is of the utmost importance. It is our moral duty,” said Leyen at a center set up at a military base near Torrejón de Ardoz. She was accompanied by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and European Council President Charles Michel and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Source: SITA / AP / Aris Oikonomou

“I am grateful to Spain for setting up a temporary detention facility for EU Afghan co-workers and their families. You are helping them, but you are also helping the EU to fulfill its moral duty.” Michel wrote on Twitter. Establishing legal and safe routes from Afghanistan for those in need of protection must be a priority for the G7 virtual summit scheduled for next week, according to Leyen. Two planes have already brought 158 ​​people to the facility, which according to Sánchez has, 158 Afghans who worked with Spain and their families. For the third flight with 110 other passengers, he has already flown from Kabul to Dubai, from where the evacuees will fly to Madrid.

At the same time, European External Action Service (EEAS) flights are landing at the military base with people being evacuated by other EU member states. However, the representatives of the Union and Spain are aware that the biggest obstacle for the people of Kabul is the transfer to the airport, comments the AP. Madrid confirmed that there were empty seats on their flights. “It’s a very difficult situation that changes every few minutes, but we’re working hard to handle this very difficult situation as best we can,” said Leyen.

The RSF is calling on the US to create a plan to evacuate Afghan journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Saturday called on US President Joe Biden to draw up a “special plan to evacuate vulnerable Afghan journalists” from Kabul, a controlled Taliban militant movement. The information was provided by the AFP news agency.

According to the RSF, at present, the US seems to only care about the evacuation of “its own citizens and former employees.” “This prevents the evacuation of those people on the lists of people in sensitive situations who are at risk.” added by the organization. “We receive dozens and dozens of urgent evacuation requests,” RSF chief Christophe Deloire said. “It’s not a problem today to get a visa or an airplane seat – these people need to be allowed to get on an airplane at all.” Deloire explained.

Source: SITA / AP Photo / Jafar Khan

The NGO is urging the United States to postpone the end of its military operation at Kabul Airport until journalists and human rights activists from various countries and organizations have boarded the aircraft. “It will be physically impossible to complete the evacuation of all these highly vulnerable people, including Afghan journalists, by August 31,” supplemented by the RSF.

“At stake is the reputation of the United States as a defender of press freedom and human rights,” said Deloire. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has announced that it has received “hundreds of requests for help” from Afghan journalists, mostly from women who are experiencing “panic and fear.” On Wednesday, the Taliban was looking for a journalist from the Deutsche Welle (DW) radio and television station. However, he is already in Germany, so the militants shot a member of his family and seriously injured another relative, the German radio station said.