At Kabul airport, thousands cling to hope for Afghanistan exit

KABUL, Afghanistan

Thousands of Afghans remain camped at the airport in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, anxiously waiting for a chance to leave the country after the Taliban takeover.

Food, water, and other essential supplies are scarce, leaving men, women, children, and the elderly increasingly desperate after five long days of what they say has been an agonizing wait.

Since the Taliban completed an unexpected power grab in Afghanistan, the capital has been swarmed by people rushing to flee Afghanistan, including civilians who assisted foreign soldiers or groups and now fear retribution.

From behind the barricades set up at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghans with passports and flight permits are selected one at a time and allowed to enter the gates controlled by foreign military forces, taking them one step closer to their “journey of hope.”

“There is no water or food here; there is nothing except a lot of problems. All I have are my passport and ID documents, nothing else,” said an Afghan man who has been at the airport for three days.

His response to a question about his preferred destination gave another glimpse into the stark reality of Afghans: “I just want to get out from here; it doesn’t matter where I go.” ​​​​​​​