According to airport officials, so far no flights to the city are expected until possibly overnight, however, Philadelphia International Airport could get an overflow of refugee flights from the Dulles International Airport in Virginia, and if that happens, they will receive a notice of approximately two hours. .
Mayor Jim Kenney’s office says the operation is led by the federal government and that they are collaborating to give refugees access to local immigration services, along with housing and medical care.
“Philadelphia is in solidarity with Afghan refugees and we look forward to offering them a safe haven in our welcoming city,” Mayor Kenney said in a statement.
There are many people who want to know what they can do to help. The city is asking that the general public not come to the airport to take in refugees.
The city also requires Dari or Pashto-speaking interpreters to enlist in the Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps.
It is not yet clear how many Afghan refugees will arrive.
Since the Taliban seized the Afghan capital on August 14, some 82,000 people have been airlifted from Afghanistan.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 8,600 evacuees have arrived in the United States via Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, according to data provided by Grant Neely, communications adviser to Governor Ralph Northam.
Refugees have already begun resettling in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area this week.
An Afghan family of eight arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon: two parents and six young children. They are one of hundreds of families coming to the region.
“Normally, we know the process two weeks in advance. In recent cases, we’ve had 24 to 48 hours’ notice,” said Gretchen Shanfeld, senior director of the Philadelphia Nationalities Service Center. The organization is one of many people helping evacuees settle on American soil.
VIDEO: Pres. Biden’s remarks after the Kabul attack
“We are ready to provide medical care, housing and connection to our diverse community of immigrant service providers who can help them with a wide range of social services,” a Philadelphia City spokeswoman said.
The U.S. government has launched a massive COVID-19 vaccination site for Afghans arriving near Dulles, a senior administration official said Friday.
The site was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has already begun administering vaccines to Afghan evacuees. The official, who was not allowed to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press, said a second mass vaccination site is expected to be launched in the coming days for evacuees to arrive. at Philadelphia International Airport.
The United States continued its monumental evacuation of Afghanistan on Friday amid tighter security measures and fears of more bloodshed, a day after the suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed more than 100 Afghans and 13 members of the American service.
The United States warned that more attacks could be advanced before President Joe Biden’s deadline to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan on Tuesday approaches.
Two officials said the number of Afghan deaths in Thursday’s bombing rose to 169, while the United States said it was the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since August 2011. Biden blamed the attack on the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State group, an enemy of both. the Taliban and the West.
Officials who gave the number of Afghan deaths were not allowed to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon also said Friday that there was only a bombing at the airport gate, not at two locations, as U.S. officials initially said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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