Afghanistan: Power to rescue stranded Nepalis in Kabul after commercial flight halted
KABUL: AUGUST 25 – Government officials have claimed that most of the stranded Nepalis have been rescued as the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) draws closer to the international airport in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Although the government has only allowed labour to work in the Green Zone, which is considered the safest in Kabul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that some Nepali nationals are also working in areas outside Kabul.
Ministry spokesman Seva Lamsal told the BBC: “A large number are in Kabul, some outside of Kabul.”
Nepalis living outside Kabul have been told there is no security threat as they are working in the UN peacekeeping mission.
Ram Prasad Subedi, deputy chief of the Nepali embassy in New Delhi, said that some Nepali nationals living near Kabul would be rescued if they wanted to leave their jobs under the UN body.
The government, which is having difficulty rescuing Nepalis in the capital Kabul, has said rescuing Nepalis outside Kabul is even more challenging.
Although the government says most Nepalis working in the Afghan capital, Kabul, are returning home, the rescue of some Nepalis who arrived illegally is still uncertain.
Many countries have stepped up their rescue efforts since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, including Kabul.
Nepal has also called on its citizens who want to return home to apply online and said that initiatives are being taken for their rescue.
Claiming that most of those who had applied for repatriation had been rescued, Subedi, the deputy chief of the embassy in New Delhi, said 53 people were yet to be rescued by Tuesday.
“Initiatives are being taken to rescue 53 people who reached there through informal channels and changed employers through formal channels,” he said.
Of the 1,500 Nepalis in Afghanistan, 1,250 have left the country by Tuesday, according to the Nepali embassy in New Delhi.
At the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the employers are rescuing the Nepalis working in Kabul who have reached Afghanistan through formal channels and are helping them to return home, the ministry said.
Some have been taken to safer places by employers in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Kingdom, the ministry said.
“Nepalis working in the institutional sector there are now almost rescued and in the process of being rescued. They are in various transit routes,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Seva Lamsal told the BBC on Tuesday.
It is said that about 300 Nepalis are still working in Afghanistan under the auspices of the United Nations and they are reluctant to return home immediately.
People who arrived illegally are in trouble
There is a challenge to repatriate Nepali citizens whose visas have expired, arrived illegally and are outside the capital Kabul.
Although the situation in the capital Kabul is still calm and non-violent, Nepalis living there say that the situation is not worry-free.
A Nepali who was waiting for rescue in Kabul said that even though they applied at the online address called by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their repatriation seemed uncertain.
“We want the (Nepal) government to keep us in a safe place and rescue us as soon as possible. Our visas have also expired and we are insecure here,” a person who did not want to be named told the BBC. The man, who said he was being held by a local agent at a hotel in Kabul, said the agent could cause problems if he revealed his name.
He said that 10 people, including himself, who had entered Afghanistan from Nepal via Dubai last February, were stranded in a hotel in Kabul.
“We were even given an interview to start work, but we’re in trouble now,” he told the BBC.
What is the situation in Kabul?
A Nepali who left Kabul only on Sunday said that the situation in Kabul is calm but not safe.
“People with the necessary documents are not barred from coming to the airport. But on the way, they are sent only after checking the posts set up by the Taliban. Such posts are less than in the early days,” said the Nepali working for the UN mission.
He says ordinary people have no problem walking the streets of Kabul.
At least 20 people have been killed in a series of shootings, stampedes and stampedes in a crowd heading towards the airport to leave Afghanistan.
What is the plan of the Government of Nepal?
Civilian planes were stranded at Kabul airport as crowds of people leaving Afghanistan became uncontrollable on the runways and at the airport.
The government has been saying that it is not in a position to rescue Nepalis by sending its own plane when commercial flights are closed.
As an alternative to this, the Government of Nepal is preparing to request the powers that be operating military flights in Afghanistan to rescue the stranded Nepalis there, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Despite various problems, the government of Nepal is committed to rescuing Nepalis. Various options are being discussed. The government will take a decision soon and bring them back,” said Lamsal.
The ministry argues that the rescue has been delayed due to delays in gathering information on Nepalis stranded in Afghanistan.
Worry about what will happen after September 15
The US-led coalition has already announced that it will withdraw its troops from Kabul from August 31.
US President Joe Biden is being pressured by his allies not to withdraw troops from Kabul airport as more humanitarian efforts continue.
But the Taliban has warned of “negative consequences” if the United States does not withdraw troops within that period.
The rescue of Nepalis will be completed by September 30, depending on the assistance provided by the countries operating rescue flights at Kabul airport, the foreign ministry said.
“The fact that the rescue will be completed by September 15 depends on the options available to us immediately,” said Lamsal.
He urged Nepalis to stay in touch and stay in touch wherever they are. He said that the problem of visa passport is as soon as possible.
The government has been saying that it is not possible to rescue Nepalis by sending its own plane due to the closure of civil flights.
As an alternative to this, the Government of Nepal is preparing to request the powers that be operating military flights in Afghanistan to rescue the stranded Nepalis there, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Despite various problems, the Nepali government is committed to rescuing Nepalis. Various options are being discussed. The government will take a decision soon and bring them back,” said Lamsal.
The ministry argues that the rescue has been delayed due to delays in gathering information on Nepalis stranded in Afghanistan.
