Live: Washington steps up Kabul evacuations, expected crisis G7

Published on : 08/24/2021 – 07:04

• 4:00 a.m .: G7 crisis in Afghanistan

The Taliban firmly opposed any postponement of the departure of American forces in Afghanistan, while a virtual G7 summit, organized during the day, must take stock of the evacuations and consider sanctions.

The leaders of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the secretaries general of NATO and the UN must participate in this summit, convened urgently by London, which currently chairs the G7.

“It is essential that we come together as an international community” to “agree on a common long-term approach,” Johnson said in a statement as the situation remains critical at Kabul airport, where are always massed thousands of candidates at the start in terrible conditions.

• 2:03 am: emergency evacuations continue

At Kabul airport, a race against time is underway to urgently evacuate as many foreigners and Afghans as possible who want to flee Afghanistan before August 31, the deadline set by the Taliban for departure American forces.

Several civilians have perished in scenes of panic and despair at the airport, the country’s only exit, since the Taliban returned to power on August 15.