Situation in Afghanistan: Rescue operation under time pressure

Tens of thousands are waiting in Afghanistan to be flown out. The situation at the airport is dramatic. Two Bundeswehr helicopters are now supposed to help with the rescue operation – and time is of the essence.

Two Bundeswehr helicopters have arrived in Kabul. They are now supposed to bring people from the city to the airport. However, only in exceptional cases, as stated in a statement:

You have to imagine that collecting points are set that we coordinate internationally. And then we basically fly out with two of these little helicopters. One takes on the personnel that we want to evacuate and one then secures this landing zone. The Americans fully support this by coordinating the airspace.

A maximum of six people can normally be transported with these helicopters, but thousands who are to be brought to Germany are still waiting in Afghanistan. It is one of the largest and most difficult airlifts in history, said US President Joe Biden. Still, he promised that all US citizens would be brought home.

Around the airport checkpoints of the Taliban

The Bundeswehr must therefore act quickly, because all the nations that are still there now and are bringing people out are dependent on the USA. If the US left the country, the airlift would no longer work. The US soldiers control the military part of the airport; the civil airport has been destroyed and is not operational.

In front of the airport, as in most of the country, the Taliban are in control:

Our picture is that we have a number of checkpoints around the airport that are being occupied by the Taliban. On the one hand, this also ensures a certain stabilization and peace and order at the gates. But there is also already checked who is allowed through at all.

UN report warns against acts of revenge

The Taliban keep asserting that they will not stop anyone from the international community from leaving the country. But they appeal to the foreign nations to stay in the country. “There is no risk to the embassies and diplomats here from our side,” said Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman. “What’s more, we’re doing everything we can to protect them.”

The United Nations, however, warn against acts of revenge. According to an internal report, the Islamists are systematically looking for opponents and their relatives. The British broadcaster BBC reported. It is mainly about people who had important positions in the military, the police or other investigative authorities. If they could not be found, family members would be taken into custody instead. And threats to kill her.

The evacuations had to be suspended for seven hours yesterday. Tens of thousands of people are still waiting to be flown out.