The new images show families of tired refugees arriving at a U.S. commercial airport after the mad struggle to leave war-ravaged Afghanistan, facing terrorist threats and the shadow of the Taliban.
Afghan refugees may have stopped abroad before arriving at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, DC, where evacuees have had to wait hours on planes and have been the subject of lengthy trials. detection that they have created a “bottleneck,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
But the images show families with young children looking the same as your average airport traveler: hands full of luggage and bags, children visibly excited in their unfamiliar surroundings.
Images of the refugees arriving Wednesday included a snapshot of a boy snacking on a bag of chips while in his mother’s arms. Another shows a girl giving a maximum of five years to a member of the U.S. service while the family gets on a bus.
The images show families walking through the terminal. In one, a newly arrived group includes a boy in a Batman sweater hanging from a stuffed Spider-Man toy. A child smiles at a photographer while a young woman puts up a “peace” sign.
More than 124,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan in the August 14-31 mass exit operation as the Taliban quickly took control of the country, the State Department said.
More than 31,100 refugees have already arrived in the United States, including 23,879 Afghans at risk, according to department data released Wednesday. These may include people with special interest visas obtained to help U.S. and NATO forces during the nearly 20-year conflict, or others who are in imminent danger under the Taliban government.
The total evacuees include 4,446 U.S. citizens and 2,785 permanent residents / green card holders, according to the State Department.
According to the Associated Press, the next hurdle for refugees is a mass resettlement program that includes religious groups of various denominations.
With publishing cables.
