- Title: Afghans evacuated to Germany by U.S. find temporary housing at army facility
- Date: 30th August 2021
- Summary: KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY (AUGUST 30, 2021) (REUTERS) GROUP OF SCHOOL CHILDREN LOOKING AT CAMERA, BOY HOLDING SOCCER BALL CHALK DRAWING ON GROUND WITH ENGLISH WORDS "HELP, HELP" AND CROSSED OUT MACHINE GUN BOYS WALKING PAST, U.S. SOLDIERS SEEN IN BACKGROUND AFGHAN MEN STANDING AROUND, U.S. SOLDIER IN FOREGROUND WATCHING SOLDIERS AND EVACUEES SEEN THROUGH FENCE VEILED WOMEN AND CHILDREN SEEN THROUGH FENCE VARIOUS OF TWO WOMEN SOLDIERS SEATED IN FRONT OF LAPTOPS AT REGISTRATION DESK IN HALL AS EVACUEES LISTEN TO THEM PEOPLE WITH LUGGAGE WALKING PAST, FOLLOWED BY SOLDIER VARIOUS OF MAN SPEAKING TO SOLDIER WOMAN SOLDIER SPEAKING TO VEILED WOMAN MAN HOLDING BABY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WITH TWO BABIES SEATED SMALL BOY IN RED JACKET PICKS UP BABY FROM MAN'S ARMS U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN, 21st THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, ALEXANDER LOVELY, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN, 21st THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, ALEXANDER LOVELY, SAYING: "So, we're supporting Ramstein's (United States Air Force base) operations, this is an Air Force-led operation but ultimately, it's a joint operation. All partners are involved in supporting the same mission but being led by the Air Force. We have just over 3,000 travellers here on site but everyone is moving very quickly through so our numbers are changing and fluctuating constantly." VARIOUS OF EVACUEES WALKING NEAR TENTS BOY IN GROUP OF CHILDREN HOLDING SOCCER BALL ADULTS PLAYING VOLLEYBALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN, 21st THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, ALEXANDER LOVELY, SAYING: "I wouldn't say it's random but we do see personnel with all levels of status, whether that's U.S. citizens with a passport, U.S. Green Card holders, SIVs (Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans), those special visas, embassy staff and really just all types of populations. Like I said, I wouldn't say it's random, it is controlled and structured but we see all populations move through." SMALL CHILDREN STANDING BEHIND FENCE CARDBOARD BOXES WITH PILES OF "AMERICAN RED CROSS" PLASTIC BAGS PEOPLE WEARING RED CROSS VESTS STANDING AT BABY POWDER AND PACIFIER DISTRIBUTION LOCATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN, 21st THEATER SUSTAINMENT COMMAND, ALEXANDER LOVELY, SAYING: "All of our facilities that we are housing travellers in have heat, have WiFi. Each building has a prayer room with prayer rugs that we've had help set up with local imams to ensure that religious needs are being cared for. We do Friday services, you know, as much as we can to make people comfortable and make sure that people are travelling in a comfortable and dignified way to the best of our ability." MEN AND A GIRL IN PINK DRESS STANDING IN LINE SOLDIERS OVERSEEING LINE OF PEOPLE PEOPLE SEEN THROUGH FENCE
- Embargoed: 13th September 2021 17:31
- Keywords: Afghanistan evacuees Ramstein Air Base U.S. army air force children support
- Location: KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY
- City: KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001ESH2CEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: More than 3,000 Afghan evacuees airlifted out of Kabul have found temporary housing at a U.S. army base in southwestern Germany.
The last U.S. troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday (August 31), after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, which brought out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans who helped them over 20 years of war.
Rhine Ordnance Barracks in Kaiserslautern is currently helping to house some of the thousands of evacuees, many of them small children who have arrived in Germany on U.S. Air Force flights at nearby Ramstein Air Base since the airlift out of Afghanistan began.
"We're supporting Ramstein's operations, this is an Air Force-led operation but ultimately, it's a joint operation," said U.S. Army Capt. Alexander Lovely, adding that all temporary housing facilities at the U.S. base offered heating, WiFi and prayer rooms "to make sure that people are travelling in a comfortable and dignified way."
According to Lovely, some of the evacuees are U.S. passport holders, owners of a U.S. Green Card or a Special Immigrant Visa for Afghans, a so called SIV.
The U.S. military will continue evacuating people from Kabul airport until Aug. 31 if needed, but will prioritise the removal of U.S. troops and military equipment on the last couple of days, the Pentagon has said.
(Production: Andreas Buerger, Micha Serr, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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