About 200 people on New Zealand’s evacuation list have been airlifted out of Kabul’s international airport, as a firm deadline for the withdrawal of the United States and allied forces approaches.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday rebuffed requests from allies to extend the deployment of thousands of troops to the airport in Afghanistan’s capital, meaning New Zealand citizens, their family, and Afghan allies will have to be evacuated by August 31 – or possibly sooner.
A Defence Force Hercules was heading towards Kabul on Wednesday afternoon for a second airlift of New Zealand’s evacuees.
The Government has continued to warn that not all may be evacuated from Kabul. Minister Chris Hipkins, speaking for the Government on Tuesday, said the number of New Zealand citizens that remained in Afghanistan was “changing pretty rapidly”.
As of the weekend, there were 206 New Zealanders and their family members eligible for evacuation.
A spokesman for the Immigration Minister, Kris Faafoi, said some Afghans that met the criteria had been granted visas.
