Two new planes with passengers from Afghanistan landed early Wednesday at Gardermoen. They transported a total of 278 people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
“The passengers include both Norwegian citizens and others who qualify for entry, as well as Afghans in need of protection. There were no unaccompanied minors on board,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide (H) stated in an email on Wednesday morning.
Norway has now evacuated a total of 652 people via nine flights to Oslo.
Work on the evacuation will continue as long as Kabul Airport remains open. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works with the Armed Forces, the police, and the immigration and health authorities to help as many people as possible leave Kabul.
Dangerous situation
Norwegian citizens, persons with a valid residence permit, and Afghan citizens in need of protection are being evacuated.
“I am glad that we have succeeded in facilitating departure for many and filling the planes in recent days, despite the fact that the situation around the airport is chaotic and at times dangerous,” Søreide said.
A significant element of uncertainty in the work of rescuing people from the country, where the Taliban now have an increasingly firm grip on power, is how long the new regime will allow air traffic to and from Kabul airport.
Cannot guarantee help
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not know how long the airport will be open and can therefore not give any guarantee that all Norwegian citizens who want to return home will receive help in this round.
“If, or rather when, the airport closes, then it will be very difficult to get people out of Afghanistan,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) said in a comment on Wednesday morning.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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