“I try to reassure my family that everything is fine, but in reality, the situation here in Kabul is deteriorating.”
These were the haunting words of a Fijian national awaiting evacuation from the Afghanistan capital.
He works for an international organisation.
“It has been really hard on my family,” he said, speaking to The Fiji Times on the condition of anonymity.
“I’ve been in contact with them every day and I understand their pain and concern.
“The Taliban is everywhere, and the situation here is tense.
“I keep telling my family that we are safe because I don’t want them to worry.
“But anything can happen.”
He said in his 18 years with the organisation, he had experienced nothing like the horror of what was unfolding in Kabul when the Taliban took over after the US pulled its troops out.
He said it was heartbreaking to witness the desperate situation of the thousands of civilians who were trying to flee Kabul.
The man said he was housed inside a compound with other Fijians who worked for other international organisations in Kabul.
He said his only solace was the regular contact he has had with his wife and children.
He said all Fijians were safe, but the danger was ever-present outside.
The man said he was uncertain about whether he would be repatriated out of Kabul soon.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Yogesh Karan said three out of the 13 Fijians in Kabul had been evacuated and the remaining 10 were international civil servants who worked for organisations such as International Labour Organization, World Health Organization, and the UN.
