Tens of thousands of Afghans are still waiting on US military bases after the chaotic flight from their homeland until they are taken somewhere. This is demanded by the medical and security investigations that refugees have to undergo.
The US and other countries carried out a massive air evacuation in the Afghan capital Kabul last month. This happened after the extremist Taliban had reached the city after a lightning strike. Western countries evacuated on a large scale civilians and Afghan former employees who were in danger.
There are still about 49,000 evacuees at eight military bases on American soil, the newspaper quotes from internal government documents. Another 18,000 people are housed at American bases abroad. Some people stay there for a few weeks, but most evacuees have to wait longer.
This delay has also to do with a small-scale outbreak of measles. At least seven Afghans were found to have the infectious disease. The US government therefore temporarily does not allow Afghans to fly from foreign military bases to the US.
“All flights have been shut down because of measles,” confirmed a Pentagon spokesman, the US Department of Defense. The number of coronavirus infections among Afghan evacuees is not that bad, can be deduced from a government document dated 10 September. It is unclear how many Afghans tested positive for the virus after their evacuation.
Many evacuees arrived at Dulles International Airport, Virginia. There, hospitals have complained to the national government that the pressure on care is mounting because many Afghans need medical help.
Before the Afghans can move to a new place in the US, they must first be vaccinated against all kinds of diseases. This is happening at military bases in the US and will soon be happening at foreign bases as well.
About the author: John Campbell
John Campbell is the godfather of Polimedia and the oldest author from the whole team. His occasional guidance is crucial for everyone he advises.