UK's duty over life-saving Afghanistan evacuations: The Yorkshire Post says

While the political ramifications of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan will be felt for years to come and is already starting a considered debate about Britain’s long-term role in global affairs, there is a more immediate and urgent task at hand for the Government to attend to.
By YP Comment
Published 19th Aug 2021, 05:45 BST
Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA WireFormer Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire
Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families. Picture: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire

It has currently promised to allow in 5,000 Afghan refugees this year and up to 20,000 in the longer term, but that figure ultimately will only represent an extremely limited intervention for a nation of 38 million people whose lives are once again under the repressive control of the Taliban.

The UK must play a leading role in urgently getting international nations around the table, including Afghanistan’s neighbours, and drawing up plans for a safe corridor out of the country and legal routes to new lives for those who now want to leave.

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Britain should not be alone in assisting those fleeing the Taliban but equally cannot shirk its responsibilities as one of the nations who are leaving the country they chose to enter 20 years ago to remove the very organisation now in power once again.

There are already concerning reports that getting people out of the Afghanistan, even those fortunate enough to be prioritised for evacuation, is proving increasingly difficult.

While Boris Johnson told Parliament that for the moment that Taliban is allowing evacuations to go ahead, Labour leader Keir Starmer said there are reports from NGOs that an evacuation plane left “almost empty” yesterday morning because evacuees were unable to get to the airport.

It comes afterDefence Secretary Ben Wallace admitted earlier this week that some people who worked with the UK will not get out.

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Although the Taliban are currently claiming - extremely dubiously - to “hold no grudges”, time is of the essence to save as many lives as possible.

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Related topics:TalibanAfghanistanYorkshire PostGovernmentParliament