Afghans crowd outside Kabul airport hoping to get out of the country

Record ID: 1633574

  • Title: Afghans crowd outside Kabul airport hoping to get out of the country
  • Date: 24th August 2021
  • Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 24, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS PEOPLE CROWDING OUTSIDE THE WALL OF THE AIRPORT VARIOUS OF BAGGAGE LOADED ON WHEELBARROWS AND CHILDREN LOOKING ON PEOPLE CROWDING (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) UNIDENTIFIED MAN, SAYING: "We are leaving because of the Taliban." REPORTER ASKING: "Any difference between these Taliban and old ones?" "There is no difference between the Taliban right now and the Taliban 20 years ago. Those in power 20 years ago killed people and I don't know when these will start (killing people). We are leaving until the situation clears." PEOPLE STANDING BY BAGGAGE ON WHEEL BARROW (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, SAYING: "The situation is unclear and we don't know who will come and who will run the country. There is unemployment, insecurity, there is no source of income, food and security issues. We fear the situation and until the situation clears, we are caught, without knowing which way to go." REPORTER ASKING: "Any difference between these Taliban and the old Taliban? "Well there is a difference between the Taliban now and the Taliban 20 years ago because the Taliban leadership now seem to be aware, conscious, but nobody knows when the mood may change and they become the same as they had been in the past." PEOPLE CROWDED OUTSIDE AREA NEAR AIRPORT SET UP BY NGO TO HELP THOSE TRYING TO LEAVE
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2021 10:16
  • Keywords: Afghanistan Kabul Taliban airport evacuations residents
  • Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ERN0MDJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Thousands of Afghans continued to crowd outside of Kabul's airport on Tuesday (August 24), waiting to flee the country ahead of a deadline set for August 31.
    Some brought their luggage to the area in wheelbarrows in the hope of being able to leave.
    "There is no difference between the Taliban right now and the Taliban 20 years ago. Those in power 20 years ago killed people and I don't know when these will start (killing people). We are leaving until the situation clears," said one unidentified man.
    Widespread chaos punctuated by sporadic violence has gripped Kabul's airport, with Western troops and Afghan security guards driving back crowds desperate to flee following the Taliban's take over of the Afghan capital on Aug. 15.
    Countries that have evacuated some 50,000 people over the past 10 days are trying to meet the deadline agreed earlier with the Taliban for the withdrawal of foreign forces, a NATO diplomat told Reuters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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