Poland has evacuated around 50 people from Afghanistan, a deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday, part of an international effort to get diplomats and other civilians out of the country after Taliban insurgents seized the capital.
Poland said on Tuesday it had around 100 people on an evacuation list. It has pledged offer places on its planes to other people trying to leave Afghanistan from Kabul airport, where chaotic scenes have caused problems for some evacuation efforts.
"About 50 people were evacuated from Afghanistan, they are now safe in the care of the Polish consulate in Uzbekistan," Marcin Przydacz told reporters. "A civilian plane is waiting for them that will soon transport them to Poland."
Przydacz said that one Polish citizen was among those evacuated, while the others were people who had worked with the Polish military and diplomatic missions.
Poland is sending more planes to help evacuate people, he said.
Poland has sent three military aircraft to evacuate people from Afghanistan. The first one landed in Kabul on Wednesday morning.
According to the chief of PM's office Michał Dworczyk, 250-260 people wanted to be evacuated - most of them associates of the Polish mission to Afghanistan, but also a few Polish citizens.
"We have done what had to be done to protect Polish citizens, as well as Afghani citizens who have worked with us and citizens of other countries. And this help is being provided," said Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
A Czech military aircraft with 87 evacuees landed in Prague on Tuesday. Among the passengers were two Polish women, Czech ambassador to Kabul and other Czech diplomats, as well as Afghani associates," Czech press agency CTK informed.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters