31 Pinoys from Kabul arrive home; 7 still awaiting repatriation

MANILA – A total of 31 Filipinos from Afghanistan safely arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday while seven are still waiting for repatriation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The 31 are part of the group evacuated from Kabul to Islamabad, Pakistan, and flew home via a special flight from Doha, Qatar.

In its latest bulletin, the agency also confirmed the evacuation of one Filipino from the south-central Asian nation on August 30, who is now in Islamabad awaiting his flight home.

“The Department continues to closely monitor the situation and the status of remaining Filipinos in Afghanistan,” it said.

Since the Taliban took power, 188 Filipinos have been evacuated from the country through the help of various foreign governments including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia.

There are 23 remaining Filipinos in the country, but only seven of them have requested government repatriation as most of them opted to stay due to various reasons, mostly work.

In any case, DFA said, those with an emergency may continue to reach the Philippine Embassy in Pakistan, which has jurisdiction over Afghanistan, through WhatsApp/Viber at +923335244762; Messenger, or e-mail at isbpeatn@gmail.com.

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On Monday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that calls for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including of women and children.

A total of 13 out of the 15 ambassadors voted in favor of the resolution, which further demands that Afghanistan not be used as a shelter for terrorism while permanent members China and Russia abstained.

On Thursday, deadly blasts at Kabul airport killed more than 150 and injured scores of those who were fleeing the country. The terrorist group Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility.

In a statement on Monday, the Philippine government joined the international community in condemning in “strongest” terms the terror attack.

“The Philippines strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and continuing threats in Afghanistan. We express our sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and our fervent hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured,” the DFA said.