90 remaining Filipinos still trapped in Afghanistan —DFA

Published August 19, 2021 04:35 PM By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR

An estimated 90 Filipinos remained trapped in the now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as flights out of capital Kabul remain scarce and difficult after the US-backed government collapsed over the weekend.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said two attempts were made Wednesday night to evacuate the Filipinos via New Delhi, India and to Islamabad, Pakistan, but failed due to cancellation of all commercial flights.

"As experienced by the groups last night, access to and even within the airport is very difficult, and if able to check in, this is still not assurance that a flight would be able to leave," it said in a statement.

However, some Filipinos were able to leave through the help of their foreign employers, the DFA said.

Seven were flown out to Qatar and five to the United Kingdom, it added.

There is also unverified information that some Filipinos who did not sign up for a government-assisted repatriation to Manila were able to leave Kabul, the DFA said.

The Philippine government, it said, "continues to work to repatriate remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan, exhausting all avenues to ensure their safety and eventual evacuation."

Filipinos still remaining in Afghanistan are advised to prepare to leave at a moment's notice and to bring minimal luggage, the DFA said.

Manila raised Alert Level 4, which calls for mandatory evacuation, for the whole of Afghanistan due to the uncertain security situation in the country.

The Taliban has seized Kabul and regained control of Afghanistan 20 years after it was ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.—LDF, GMA News

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