Kabul’s airport, a major way out of the country, is now in Taliban hands but is closed. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned Thursday that there’s still “no clear indication” of when it will reopen and Qatar is working with the Taliban to reopen Kabul’s airport as soon as possible, its foreign minister said on Thursday, urging the hardline Islamists to allow Afghans to leave.
A team of Qatari and Turkish technicians flew to Kabul on Wednesday to help restart operations at the facility, which the UN says is crucial to providing the country with humanitarian assistance. It remains to be seen, however, whether any commercial airlines will be willing to offer service. A jet from the Gulf country was the first foreign aircraft to land in the Afghan capital on Wednesday since frenzied evacuations ended a day earlier with the American withdrawal. The airport, the scene of a frenzied evacuation which ended with the US troop withdrawal on Tuesday, is out of operation with much of its infrastructure destroyed or degraded. “We are working very hard (and) we remain hopeful that we will be able to operate it as soon as possible,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “Hopefully in the next few days we will hear some good news,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
Meanwhile, the UK’s foreign secretary said that the evacuation flights from Afghanistan could resume “in the near future”, after talks with leaders in Qatar. Dominic Raab is in the country to discuss allowing more British nationals and Afghan allies to leave Afghanistan. Asked when Kabul airport could reopen, Mr Raab said: “that’s looking like it may happen at some point in the near future”. It is currently out of action following the withdrawal of US troops last week.
