Afghanistan live news unclear how many will be left behind after evacuation, says UK foreign secretary

almost 3 years in The guardian

Dominic Raab says numbers depend on ‘the window' of opportunity; ‘we are determined to complete this mission’, says US President; reports emerge that US has started to take some of the 6,000 troops out of countryBoris Johnson fails to persuade US to extend Kabul exit deadlineThousands of at-risk Afghans in danger of being left behind by UKTaliban close airport road to Afghans to block their evacuationBiden pours salt into wounds of relations with Europe at G7 meetingHow the west will try to sway the TalibanSee all our Afghanistan coverage 10.44am BST In the first week following the Taliban conquest of Kabul, Covid-19 vaccinations in Afghanistan have dropped by 80%, the UN agency UNICEF said, warning that half of the few doses delivered to the country so far are close to expiry.The Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital on 15 August, having already captured most of the country earlier in the month after the United States decided to withdraw military forces after 20 years of war.The drop is understandable, as in situations of chaos, conflict and emergency, people will prioritize their safety and security first.Our priority today is to work with UNICEF and WHO country offices (..) to ensure our ability to continue the country’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. 10.36am BST Britain’s failure to persuade the US to extend the evacuation from Afghanistan into September does not mean the “special relationship” with Washington is over, the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has said.He made the comment in an interview following the virtual G7 summit, which resulted in President Biden rejecting calls from the UK and other European partners for the evacuation mission from Afghanistan to be extended beyond 31 August. Related: US special relationship still alive after Afghan evacuation, says Dominic Raab Continue reading...

Mentioned in this news
Share it on