Afghanistan: Displacement Crisis Worsens as Militants Take Control of Kabul
Afghans abroad are worried about family and friends still in Afghanistan as tens of thousands of citizens are being displaced in their country.
Many diplomats are said to be struggling to leave the troubled country. The US embassy has advised its nationals to shelter in place as Taliban enters Afghanistan’s capital.
Afghanistan’s President, Ashraf Ghani, has left the country, and residents and diplomats are scrambling to leave, though Kabul’s airport is now closed to commercial flights. The US embassy has lowered its flag, and the Taliban said in a statement it is working to restore law and order.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says a “coordinating council” is being formed to “prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people and to better manage the affairs related to peace.”
Women in Afghanistan are especially vulnerable to Taliban control.
Already, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is saying that thousands continue to be displaced in Kabul and other urban areas in large numbers.
Kabul is however, the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, located in the eastern section of the country. It is also a municipality, forming part of the greater Kabul Province, and divided into 22 districts, Kabul serves as its political, cultural and economic center. Rapid urbanisation made Kabul the world’s 75th largest city.
