Roughly 1,500 U.S. citizens likely still in Afghanistan -Blinken
Reuters
Published Aug 25, 2021 03:04PM ET
Updated Aug 25, 2021 08:45PM ET
By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -There are still about 1,500 U.S. citizens in Afghanistan and the U.S. government is working to either contact them or has already given them instructions on how to get to Kabul airport, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
Blinken said at a news conference that Washington has so far evacuated 4,500 U.S. citizens and their families as President Joe Biden's deadline of Aug. 31 to withdraw U.S. troops is just days away.
When the U.S. evacuation effort began, there were as many as 6,000 American citizens in Afghanistan who wanted to leave, based on a U.S. analysis, Blinken said. He said officials had been in direct contact with 500 of those remaining in the past 24 hours and provided specific instructions on how to get to Kabul airport safely.
"For the remaining roughly 1,000 contacts that we had, who may be Americans seeking to leave Afghanistan, we're aggressively reaching out to them multiple times a day, through multiple channels of communication," Blinken said. The figures do not include green card holders - those authorized to live and work in the United States.
Biden's administration has for days struggled to provide a specific figure for both the number of Americans evacuated so far and those who are still in Afghanistan. Blinken, while providing the figures, cautioned they may change by the hour.
"From this list of approximately 1,000, we believe the number of Americans actively seeking assistance to leave Afghanistan is lower, likely significantly lower," he said.
He also said 45 percent to 46 percent of the more than 82,000 people who have so far been evacuated have been women and children.
Western countries rushed to evacuate people from Afghanistan as the Taliban swiftly took over the country. Many Afghans who helped U.S.-led coalition forces may have to be left behind to an uncertain fate under the Islamist militant group.
Blinken also stressed that there was no deadline on the effort to help people who want to leave Afghanistan, both Americans and others, and that Washington would use every diplomatic and economic assistance tool to ensure those who want to leave can do so even after Aug. 31.
But he did not elaborate on how exactly Washington would help people leave without the presence of U.S. military on the ground.
In the 10 days since the Taliban swept into Kabul, the United States and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations on record, bringing out more than 88,000 people, including 19,000 in the last 24 hours. The U.S. military says planes are taking off the equivalent of every 39 minutes.
Although the airlift is due to last until Tuesday, the United States military said it will shift its focus in the final two days from assisting fleeing civilians to evacuating troops.
Get The News You Want
The Pentagon does not expect U.S. military involvement beyond Aug. 31, spokesman John Kirby (NYSE:KEX) said.
"I think what Secretary Blinken was talking about was the kind of support and assistance that we give to Americans around the world who want to leave where they are and get help coming home ... I wouldn't anticipate that there will be a military role in that sort of assistance."
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.