Transporting Irish passport holders in Afghanistan to the airport in Kabul safely is proving very difficult, high level sources briefed on evacuation efforts have said.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman told The Irish Times that “a small number” of the Irish passport holders seeking to leave the country were at the airport awaiting transport.
The rest are in different parts of Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney confirmed yesterday that three Irish nationals have left Afghanistan, with 36 still waiting to leave.
Escape
One who has managed to escape Afghanistan is education worker Aoife MacManus.
“I'm happy to say that Aoife is now safe and well in Islamabad,” her father Ray MacMánais said on Thursday afternoon.
“We have spoken to her this morning, and she is also happy, safe, relieved and very emotional. I think she is catching up on some much-needed sleep now.
No planes were allowed to leave Afghanistan before dawn so as soon as the sun came up this morning, she left Kabul on the one-hour flight to Pakistan.
“We don't know when she will get back home to Ireland, but we are just so happy she is now out of the country
“My wife Jenny, son Colm and I got little if any sleep last night, but it feels now like a huge weight has been lifted from us.
“We have a huge sense of gratitude to the many, many people who have got in touch with us during this time, who were saying prayers, lighting candles and sending messages of hope. Thank you.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said a small number of Irish people working with international organisations had decided to stay in Afghanistan.
Western governments are dealing with big problems as they try to get their citizens to the airport in Kabul and evacuated safely.
On-the-ground reports describe a volatile situation around the airport with Taliban fighters firing shots and beating people to disperse Afghan crowds trying to gain access to the airport.
The Taliban have also set up checkpoints around the airport with fighters on patrol.
According to The New York Times, a Taliban commander told crowds that only foreigners and those with travel permits would be allowed access to the airport.
Other reports claim Afghans with travel permits are not being admitted.
