Blinken at Doha talks, assures Afghans can exit their country

Officials from US Qatar discuss the d for speeding up cuations from hanistan, and the d ahead as Taliban rt to run the nation

US secreof state Antony Blinken said uesday that the Taliban me has reiterated a pledge to Afghan nationals to freely Afghanistan following his ing with top Qatari officials he need for accelerating uations from the country. S President Joe Biden has d mounting pressure amid rts that several hundred le, also including Ameri, had been prevented for a

from flying out of an airin northern Afghanistan. e Taliban told the US that y will let people with travel

ments freely depart”, ken told reporters in Doha re he and US defence secrelloyd Austin met their Qatounterparts. e will hold them to that,” en said. tar said that Kabul airport, ly closed since the concluof Washington’s chaotic drawal from the country at nd of August, would hopereopen soon, potentially ing an important corridor fghans seeking to leave. he entire international munity is looking to the Talito uphold that committ,” Blinken said, referring to Security Council resolution urged safe passage. den’s senior cabinet memhad dinner on arrival on day with Qatar’s ruler Emir kh Tamim Al-thani where expressed Washington’s ks to Doha for its assistance the Afghanistan airlift. tar was the transit point for ly half of the more than 00 people evacuated from anistan in the final days of 0-year US war as the Taliook over. e US on Monday facilitated vacuation of four Amerifrom the same family by out of Afghanistan, the first rtures arranged by Washn since the military pulla state department official the Taliban were aware of peration and did not intert 1,300 people - including girls and US citizens - are stuck at the airport in the northern city of Mazar-i-sharif. Marina Legree, the founder and executive director of an American nongovernmental organisation that is active in Afghanistan, told AFP that the Taliban are not letting anyone through.

UN says basic services in Afghanistan collapsing

Afghanistan is facing the collapse of basic services and food and other aid is about to run out, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told a UN briefing in Geneva that millions of Afghans were in need of food aid and health assistance.

“Basic services in Afghanistan are collapsing and food and other lifesaving aid is about to run out,” he said. “We urge international donors to support this appeal fast and generously.”