ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP): Tens of thousands of foreign nationals and Afghan citizens have been evacuated out of Kabul ahead of the deadline of August 31 for complete withdrawal of the United States troops from Afghanistan.
According to the data shared by the White House , a total of approximately 10,900 people were evacuated through the Kabul airport on Tuesday as Washington went ahead with its airlift before its troops leave Afghanistan ending their presence of two decades in the country.
In total, the United States led mission had facilitated the evacuation of 48,000 people since August 14.
According to the information shared by the White House around 21,600 people were evacuated from Kabul in the past 24 hours, and 37 US military flights carried approximately 12,700 evacuees and 57 coalition flights carried 8,900 people.
Since August 14, the United States had evacuated and facilitated 58,700 people. “Since the end of July, we have relocated approximately 63,900 people,” said White House.
Update: Between 3AM ET on 8/23 and 3AM ET on 8/24, a total of approximately 21,600 people were evacuated from Kabul. 37 US military flights carried approximately 12,700 evacuees, and 57 coalition flights carried 8,900 people.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 24, 2021
According to a Pentagon spokesman, the focus remains on getting US evacuation operations done by the August 31 deadline that President Joe Biden has set for completing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
That would also require withdrawing the 5,800 US troops who have essentially run airport operations and maintained security since August 14, as well as large amounts of equipment brought in to support their mission.
German, British and French officials had said that evacuations on their part could continue after August 31, and said they want the US force to stay in place to help the international airlift.
Australia has brought back another 650 people from Afghanistan in its biggest evacuation mission from the country to date. It took the total number of people evacuated from Afghanistan by Australia and New Zealand to nearly 1,700.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was quoted by the Sky News saying that the United Kingdom had evacuated 9,000 people out of Kabul and and “we will go on right up to the last moment we can.”
He was talking after holding urgent talks with G7 leaders on the situation in Afghanistan. He said the G7 has demanded of the Taliban guaranteed safe passage for evacuees. He also pointed that the G7 has agreed on a ‘roadmap’ for how to engage with a Taliban government in Kabul.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK has evacuated 9,000 people out of Kabul, and that "we will go on right up to the last moment we can" – after holding urgent talks with G7 leaders on the situation in Afghanistan.
Latest: https://t.co/vCluG2YOds pic.twitter.com/Vhoqr1sWIH
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 24, 2021
According to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, so far evacuation of 3,234 foreign nationals and 323 Pakistanis have been facilitated by Pakistan.
The Pakistan International Airlines was the only civilian airliner to lift passengers from Kabul. The CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik personally visited Kabul to see the situation on the ground and how to carry on the operation.
