Belgium ends evacuations from Kabul

Belgium said Wednesday that it was ending evacuations from Kabul, days ahead of the withdrawal of the American troops protecting the Afghan capital’s airport after the country’s fall to the Taliban.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo wrote on Twitter that “given the development of the situation in Afghanistan” the country had decided to end its operations and evacuate remaining personnel.

Belgium’s move was made “in consultation with European partners”, he added.

The European Union on Tuesday called on the US to continue protecting the airport “as long as necessary” beyond its military’s August 31 exit date, to remove more people in danger of potential Taliban reprisals.

Although the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said at the weekend it would be “impossible” to get all Afghans who worked with western powers and their families out before the end of the month, President Joe Biden has held firm to the cut-off date.

Belgian military planes evacuated around 1,100 people from Kabul via Islamabad between Friday and Tuesday evening, including European citizens, Afghans in danger and their families.

After five final flights today, “all personnel from the operation have been gathered in Islamabad since 9.30 pm” (1930 GMT), De Croo said.

The evacuees will be brought on to Belgium from Pakistan “in the coming days”, he added.

Besides Belgians and Afghans, citizens of the Netherlands, Denmark and Luxembourg were evacuated in the Belgian operation, as well as refugees with asylum claims in those countries.

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