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Nine months after the Taliban took power, thousands are still stuck in Afghanistan and surrounding countries. The situation is getting worse every day, says the founder of the “Kabul Airlift”, Theresa Breuer, describing the situation on the ground.
In August 2021, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. Since then, the situation has become darker every day, says Theresa Breuer in the 299th episode of “Today Important”: “I had hoped that the Taliban would make some of their announcements come true and yet establish a regime that was not so strict. Now it was I was last there three weeks ago and I’m hopeless now.”
Breuer is a filmmaker and founded the “Kabul Airlift” during the days of the takeover. Since then, the initiative has saved around 2,000 people who had been accepted – i.e. local workers or people who were particularly at risk who had to fear for their lives under the Taliban and who were therefore guaranteed admission by the federal government. This list was closed for the time being on August 31, 2021, since then there have only been a few followers. And that’s despite the fact that there are still thousands on site with a corresponding promise or belong on this list because of their activities, says Theresa Breuer.
Samim fled Afghanistan: “I was one of the Taliban’s greatest enemies”
Ahmad Samim Jabari and Hamed Valley are two of the approximately 21,000 people who have been able to travel to Germany so far. Samim worked as a local officer for the Bundeswehr: “I feared for my life because I worked openly against the Taliban and was therefore one of their biggest enemies. Every time I imagined that the Taliban would catch me, I had Afraid they would kill me.” And as the founder of Afghanistan’s first model agency, “Modelstan,” Hamed stands against everything the Taliban advocate. He didn’t have a chance to continue his job: “The Taliban informed the population through the media that there should be no more music, fashion shows or television programs featuring female singers, models or artists. That’s now banned in Afghanistan .”
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Thousands who have been accepted are still stuck in Afghanistan
Both now live safely in Germany and are grateful that they were rescued. Thousands of others have also been accepted, but are stuck in Afghanistan or in surrounding countries. This resulted in a request from the left-wing member of the Bundestag Clara Bünger to the federal government. Anyone who was on this list by August 31, 2021 was above all lucky and had good contacts, says the founder of the “Kabul Airlift” Theresa Breuer: “In August 2021 it was an absolute lottery who got an acceptance letter and who Not.” Too many people are not yet on the list who are also at risk, such as Samim and Hamed.
However, the current federal government rejects the accusation of arbitrariness. From the Foreign Office it says: “Within the last federal government, it was decided that only people who had been identified by the federal government by the end of the military evacuation would be considered for the blanket acceptance of admission.” According to Breuer, anyone who was late or had no good contacts with the media or other organizations on site must have had a hard time.
Founder of the Kabul Airlift: “The situation is getting worse by the day”
But many Afghans are faring worse today than they were a year ago, says Theresa Breuer, describing her impressions on the ground: “The situation with women’s rights is getting worse and worse. And in general in the country: the Taliban aren’t building anything, no infrastructure is being built , and now 97 percent of all Afghans live below the poverty line.” This number is calculated by the children’s charity Unicef. That’s why Breuer is continuing to work with her “Kabul Airlift” initiative to ensure that people whose admission the federal government has guaranteed can actually flee to Germany.
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Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
