Amnesty International have responded to the collapse of the Afghan government following the seizure of power by the Taliban and the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:
“What we are witnessing in Afghanistan is a tragedy that should have been foreseen and averted. It will only be compounded further without swift and decisive action from the international community. Thousands of Afghans at serious risk of Taliban reprisals and are in danger of being abandoned to a deeply uncertain future. Amnesty International called on the United States to provide continued security at the airport while evacuations are ongoing. International travel has been disrupted as airlines adjust to the news that the airspace over Ag is now considered to be in the control of military forces.
Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan restarted early this morning after the runway at Kabul airport was cleared of thousands of people desperate to flee after the Taliban seized the capital. US forces took charge of the airport, the only remaining exit point from Afghanistan as the Taliban held control of all ground routes Against the scenes of panic and confusion in Kabul, US President Joe Biden defended his country’s decision to withdraw US forces after 20 years of war – the nation’s longest – that he described as costing more than $1 trillion. Mr Biden insisted he had to decide between asking US forces to fight endlessly in what he called Afghanistan’s civil war or follow through on an agreement to depart negotiated by Republican former President Donald Trump.
