- Title: Afghans crossing in to Pakistan say situation back home is 'bad'
- Date: 27th August 2021
- Summary: CHAMAN BORDER, PAKISTAN (AUGUST 27, 2021) (REUTERS) CROWDS OF PEOPLE PEOPLE ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) MAN ARRIVING FROM KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, AZIZ ULLAH, SAYING: "The British high commission called us, people who had documents. We came here (Kabul airport) and were standing in the queue. The place was overcrowded, there were fights and the Taliban came and dispersed us. We stayed there for two, three days but when the situation worsened, we left and came here to Peshawar." REPORTER ASKING "There was a blast, what happened?" AZIZ ULLAH SAYING: "We don't know about the blast, we took a vehicle and came here." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ARRIVING MINI-BUSES PARKED, LUGGAGE BEING LOADED ONTO ROOFS OF MINI-BUSES (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) MAN COMING FROM LAGHMAN, AFGHANISTAN, MURAD (LAST NAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING: "I am from Laghman. We went to Torkham Border crossing but we suffered a lot and could not find a way through. REPORTER ASKING: "What are the conditions there (in Afghanistan)?" MURAD SAYING: "Some gave us things (food or water) but the conditions are too bad, bad enough that there is no distinction between men and women." PEOPLE ARRIVING CROWDS OF PEOPLE
- Embargoed: 10th September 2021 13:38
- Keywords: Afghanistan Taliban border crossing pakistan border
- Location: CHAMAN BORDER, PAKISTAN
- City: CHAMAN BORDER, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001ES23EX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Afghans crossing over to Pakistan on Friday (August 27) said conditions were "bad" back home, a day after at least one Islamic State suicide bomber killed 85 people including 13 U.S. soldiers outside the gates of Kabul airport.
Aziz Ullah from Kabul said he waited outside Hamid Karzai International Airport for "two, three" days but could not make it to travel.
Up to half a million Afghans could flee the crisis in their homeland, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday, appealing to all neighbouring countries to keep their borders open for those seeking safety.
UNHCR's contingency planning figure of half a million Afghan refugees over the next four months includes departures to Iran and Pakistan and to countries of Central Asia, deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements said.
U.S. forces helping to evacuate Afghans desperate to flee new Taliban rule were on alert for more attacks on Friday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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