Relief as family fly home to safety
BUT FEARS GROW FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN
FOUR members of a Nottingham family who had been trapped in Afghanistan and surrounded by the Taliban have made it back to the UK.
On Thursday last week the Post spoke to Nargas Ziahe, 24, who had flown out to Afghanistan roughly six weeks ago following the death of a relative and to visit her poorly grandfather.
She had flown out with her brother, Omar, five, her sister, Asma, aged nine, and their mother.
However, they were soon caught up in the chaos of the rapid Taliban takeover.
They spent almost two days without a bed or washing facilities on the outskirts of Kabul, surrounded by Taliban fighters who carried and fired AK-47 assault rifles into the air, before managing to make it safely to the Baron Hotel where their repatriation paperwork was processed.
Their safe exit from the turmoil was largely down to the help of the headteacher of Mellers Primary School in Radford, Amanda Dawson, who worked with Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood to arrange their passage out of the country.
Raghib Ziahe, 48, the father who remained in Nottingham, worked with Ms Dawson and Ms Greenwood to get his family home, and he told the Post they had landed in Birming
ham yesterday morning.
They must now spend 10 days in quarantine due to Covid restrictions.
“I was so excited. I could not believe it,” he said.
“They just arrived this morning. I was thinking how it would be possible to get them out of the city. Last week I could not sleep, but I said to them do not worry.
“But a lot of the family are still in hiding. There are still about 20 [family members] out there. We need to save their lives.
“The Taliban keep searching the houses.”
Mr Ziahe thanked Amanda for all her help throughout the past few days.
He also praised the British Army for their support at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul who have helped thousands board military flights out of the country.
Ms Dawson said the news was somewhat “bittersweet” as just four had arrived home, with many still out there waiting on evacuation.
She added: “[Their] aunt and uncles are in significant danger still.
“I’ve been working with Lilian Greenwood and her team to gather all the documentation and pass it to the Foreign Office.
“The youngest uncle had his ID taken by Taliban and told that once US and UK security forces leave he will be beheaded.
“I am relieved, overjoyed and a bit overwhelmed. It is bittersweet, though, knowing how many people are still in danger.”