The call came on August 16, the day after the Taliban entered Kabul. Guys’ boss told him to come and his family was waiting for buses to a meeting place. They had a chance to escape, but they had to leave their homes, friends and most of their belongings. “They only gave us a few hours,” he says.
Guys (like many Afghans, he only uses his first name) has worked before Press Such as AdjustmentLocal collaborator acting as interpreter and guide during a report by journalist Mark Dibodo in Afghanistan. He was now working for a European organization that promised to take his staff safely when religious fundamentalists began to take control of the country.
He and his wife and four children took their belongings. They were entitled to three packs of all luggage. “Most of what we brought was stuff for my 1 year and 10 month old baby and my 6 year old daughter,” she says.
The buses departed for Kabul airport, which is controlled by the US military and its allies. The small convoy was stopped at an armed Taliban roadblock.
They got on the bus. I tilted my head and looked at my shoes. I was so scared that they would tell me to come down.
Guys, formerly employed Press Such as Adjustment
“I gave my son my phone and told him to hide it, as a precaution … I heard they might look for photos, videos and recorded phone numbers and may have problems,” he says.
One person on the bus belonged to a tribe that was more friendly with the militants than the others. He argued. The convoy was able to proceed.
Workers tried to reach the north entrance of the airport, but the crowd with the force of despair prevented them from approaching. They went around and reached the eastern entrance, where they could pass.
A few hours later, they were able to board a French military plane. They stopped in Abu Dhabi and then landed in Paris. They were later transferred to Spain and later to Luxembourg.
“We have been selected for Luxembourg and that is our ultimate goal,” he said.
Abandoned food on the table
Akbar Shinwari, Afghan journalist Adjustment For Press During the Laura-Julie Perrault report, there were recent threats from the Taliban.
The British television channel ITV from London took him to the Serena Hotel near Kabul Airport to arrange for him to leave the country. The trip was arranged with the Qatari ambassador, who stayed at the hotel and held talks with the Taliban about safe behavior for several travelers.
When Akbar Shinwari’s family was sitting at the table, he asked them to hurry to the hotel. She hurriedly put the food on the table and left.
As he was waiting to leave the hotel with his wife and five children, the journalist heard a knock on his room door. When opened, he came face to face with two armed Taliban.
“They asked me if I had worked for the US military. I told them I was a journalist and I only worked with the media,” he says. The two men left him alone.
With a companion provided by the Qatari ambassador, his team was able to get to the airport and cross four Taliban roadblocks. Once a “green zone” under US control, he was emotionally conquered.
It was heartbreaking to see my country leave and all these educated people who are an asset to the country to leave.
Akbar Shinwari, formerly an Afghan journalist Adjustment For Press
His plane landed in Doha and his family is staying for a few days in a new facility built for next year’s Soccer World Cup.
However, he is worried about some of his relatives behind him. With the crowd in front of the airport and the attack on Thursday, he would not be advised to go there and try their luck. “I will not send them there,” he said. His hope is that a third country like Qatar will continue to provide a safer route to the airport for some travelers.
“They say it’s like the end of the world.”
Walid Fossley, who previously worked Adjustment For Press During Isabelle Hussey’s statement, we were able to reach him when he arrived at the Washington airport on Thursday. He could rebuild his life in the United States.
Mr. Fazli had previously received threats from the Taliban because of his journalism work. He was pessimistic about the future of his country. “With the arrival of the Taliban, the city became dark. I was worried about the future of my children,” he explains.
He previously worked for several American television stations and newspapers and at a university in Indiana, where he was able to obtain visas for himself, his wife, his parents and his three children.
He also left the Serena Hotel in a convoy cleared by Taliban roadblocks. He was shocked to see a large crowd at the airport gate.
There are a lot of people, and I would never have gotten on if I hadn’t been on that bus.
Walid Fossley, who previously worked Adjustment For Press
“There are thousands and thousands of people. I talked to friends who are still here today [jeudi]. There were explosions, and they say it was like the end of the world. Everyone is confused, but people are still trying to get in, ”he said.
He worries about those who can’t get to the entrance. “There has to be a way to help people who don’t have traffic. If we abandon them, many will be killed or tortured,” he worries.
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