Amid the dramatic, chaotic scenes at Kabul airport, as thousands of people attempt to leave Afghanistan, Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary-General, issued a statement aimed at the U.S. and the international community.
“What we are witnessing in Afghanistan is a tragedy that should have been foreseen and averted,” Callamard said. “Thousands of Afghans at serious risk of Taliban reprisals – from academics and journalists to civil society activists and women human rights defenders – are in danger of being abandoned to a deeply uncertain future,” he added, emphasizing a need for a “swift and decisive action from the international community.”
Earlier this morning, it has been confirmed that the U.S. soldiers were forced to fire warning shots at Kabul airport Monday while hundreds of people were racing across the tarmac desperately trying to flee the country. All commercial flights have been suspended.
“Foreign governments must take every necessary measure to ensure the safe passage out of Afghanistan for all those at risk of being targeted by the Taliban,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary-General. “This includes expediting visas, delivering support for evacuations from Kabul airport, providing relocation and resettlement, and suspending all deportations and forced returns. We urge the U.S. to provide continued security at the airport while evacuations are ongoing,” Agnes Callamard concluded.