Live blog
As of: 08/26/2021 02:06 am
According to a new UN report, the security situation in Afghanistan is largely calm. Meanwhile, the US embassy issued a security warning for Kabul Airport. Belgium stops its evacuation flights. All developments in the live blog.
02:06 am
US Embassy: Security Warning for Kabul Airport
The US embassy in Kabul has advised US citizens not to come to the Afghan capital’s airport for security reasons. There was a danger at the airport gates, the embassy warned during the night. “US citizens who are currently at Abbey Gate, East Gate or North Gate should leave the area immediately,” it said. Exceptions should only be made in the event of individual instructions from US government officials.
Great Britain has also urged its citizens who have remained in Afghanistan to stay away from Kabul airport because of the risk of attacks. “If you are at the airport, move away to a safe place and wait for further information,” said the UK Foreign Office website on Wednesday. There is a “persistent and high risk of terrorist attacks”. The German embassy had previously warned of shootings and terrorist attacks at Kabul airport.
02:06 am
Belgium suspends evacuation flights from Kabul
In view of the impending full US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Belgium has suspended evacuation flights from Kabul. The reason is the worsening situation in the country, wrote Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in the evening on the online service Twitter. The decision was made “in coordination with the European partners”.
02:06 am
UN report: security situation in Afghanistan largely calm
The security situation in Afghanistan has been largely calm since the militant Islamist Taliban came to power. This emerges from a weekly report by the UN Agency for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA), which was published that evening. In the vast majority of regions of the country, the security situation in the reporting period – the week after the Taliban came to power – was comparatively calm.