US President Joe Biden's administration is facing increasing pressure since nearly 1,000 people are currently stranded near an airport in northern Afghanistan. 6 charter planes are waiting at the airport and people are housed at various parts of the city.
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People associated with several different NGOs (non-governmental organizations) claimed that flights have been unable to fly out of Mazar-i-Sharif because of approval issues involving the US government and the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan. #Afghanistan
Marina LeGree, the founder of an American NGO that empowers girls and young women through physical training, said 600-1,300 people had been waiting for a week. "It's been seven days and nothing's moving," she said adding further, "The Taliban is simply not letting anything move."
Meanwhile, Rick Clay, who runs a private rescue group called PlanB, alleged the US State Department is the only entity preventing flights from leaving Afghanistan. The Department "is not allowing any private charters carrying refugees (to) land anywhere." #AfghanRefugees
"This is zero place to be negotiating with American lives. Those are our people standing on the tarmac and all it takes is a f****ng phone call," another person told Fox News. "If one life is lost as a result of this, the blood is on the White House's hands..," that person added.
The US State Department has reportedly acknowledged there are charter flights waiting at the said airport. A spokesperson for the Department, however, added that it has limited resources in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has denied accusations that it caused the delay. "This is not true. Our Mujahideen have nothing to do with ordinary Afghans. This is propaganda and we reject it," said the group's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
US carried out a hasty pullout of its troops, citizens, and Afghan allies amid the collapse of the West-backed Afghanistan govt and the Taliban's return to power. More than 1,20,000 people were flown out in one of the largest such operations in history.
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