The international community is scrambling to get out of Afghanistan as the capital city Kabul fell at the hands of the Taliban.
Canada, United States, Norway and Denmark were the first ones to shut their embassies and evacuate their people.
The United Kingdom is sending 900 troops to Kabul to help evacuate British citizens, while the United States is deploying at least 6,000 soldiers to help in the evacuation.
“It’s a really deep part of regret for me that some people won’t get back. It’s sad that the West has done what it’s done, and we have to do our very best to get people out and stand by our obligations,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the suspension of flights to Afghanistan by registered airlines.
In a statement, the GCAA said that it is closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan and assessing the current situation, in coordination with relevant authorities and the UAE’s national carriers, to ensure the safe operations of the country’s airlines.
The GCAA stated it is prioritising the safety and security of civil aviation.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, has started repatriating Filipinos from Afghanistan.
At least 32 Filipinos were evacuated and awaiting their confirmed flights from Doha to the Philippines.
The DFA added that another group of 19 Filipinos are also set to leave immediately.
An estimated 130 Filipinos are currently in the south-central Asian nation.
Alert Level 4 has been raised over Afghanistan due to the worsening security situation there. Under this alert level, evacuation and repatriation for Filipinos are mandatory.
