- Title: Afghans speak of uncertainty after evacuation to Emirates
- Date: 28th August 2021
- Summary: ABU DHABI, UAE (AUGUST 28, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF EVACUATED AFGHANS WALKING IN QUEUE VARIOUS OF EVACUATED AFGHANS SITTING IN HALL CAMERA SCREEN WITH CAMERAMAN OPERATING CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVACUATED AFGHAN MAN, NAEEM, SAYING: “I was working with the U.S. Army as an interpreter. It was quite hard for me to stay anymore in Afghanistan. There was a high risk of threat from the enemy, that’s why when the Taliban were … surrounding the whole country.†VARIOUS OF EVACUATED AFGHANS SITTING IN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVACUATED AFGHAN MAN, NAEEM, SAYING: “I feel here comfortable right now, but when I was in Afghanistan, I was not feeling good because since the Taliban entered and surrounded Kabul, and I was hiding in Kabul. I was trying to get into Kabul international airport to take a safe flight.†VARIOUS OF EVACUATED AFGHANS SITTING IN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVACUATED AFGHAN MAN, NAEEM, SAYING: “Well, now we cannot say anything because the new government of the Taliban is coming and we don’t know what’s their plan or what’s their goal. But since that day when I was in Kabul, they captured the Kabul city.†WOMAN SITTING IN HALL TWO MEN SITTING IN HALL CAMERAMAN OPERATING CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVACUATED AFGHAN MAN, AMAL, SAYING: “The economic situation is also not good. People don’t have anything for eating because border is closed and COVID-19 is a very difficult problem. For that reason, Afghanistan doesn’t have vaccines or any medicine.†VARIOUS OF EVACUATED AFGHANS SITTING IN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVACUATED AFGHAN MAN, AMAL, SAYING: “The Taliban don’t respect the people, got it? For that reason, this is my idea about the Taliban, all the world know about the Taliban. Maybe you seen the Taliban in the news. Taliban don’t have any culture, they don’t respect the people. VARIOUS OF US CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, ETHAN GOLDRICH TALKING TO THE MEDIA JOURNALISTS STANDING AT MEDIA BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) US CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, ETHAN GOLDRICH, SAYING: “Afghanistan to the United States, this is the first charter flight from the UAE, they have been in the UAE, this week, they were evacuated from Afghanistan in the course of the week. The UAE has been very hospitable, providing them a place to stay while they were going through their processing so that they can continue on with their journey to the United States.†EVACUATED AFGHANS SITTING IN HALL EVACUATED AFGHANS WALKING IN QUEUE
- Embargoed: 11th September 2021 21:18
- Keywords: Afghanistan Emirates Taliban evacuees
- Location: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- City: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001ES72FYF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Afghans evacuees spoke of their uncertain future after the Taliban's rapid takeover after arriving in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday (August 28).
''I was not feeling good because since the Taliban entered and surrounded Kabul, and I was hiding in Kabul. I was trying to get into Kabul international airport to take a safe flight,'' said Naeem who had worked as an interpreter for the U.S. army.
''Well, now we cannot say anything because the new government of the Taliban is coming and we don’t know what’s their plan or what’s their goal.''
The United Arab Emirates has agreed to host 5,000 Afghan nationals on their way to a third country at the request of the United States.
The UAE has so far facilitated the evacuation of 8,500 people from Afghanistan on its aircraft and through its airports. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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