Two M’sians Are in Afghanistan & Will Remain There “For The Time Being”
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan for the first time in almost 20 years following the withdrawal of the United States’ troops from the country. Days after the fall of Kabul, nations are hurriedly evacuating their diplomats and citizens, leaving behind two decades of work and investments.
Hundreds of Afghan civilians managed to get on a U.S. Air Force cargo plane departing Afghanistan for Qatar on Sunday(15 Aug). An image of the estimated 640 souls aboard the C-17 aircraft showed them expressionless, numb and fatigued.
While some managed to escape, the Malaysian High Commission in India, which is accredited to Afghanistan, said there are two Malaysians currently in Afghanistan.
According to Bernama, the high commission said that both of them work for an international relief organisation in the capital city, Kabul. However, the commission did not provide further details about them.
“The two have made arrangements to remain in Afghanistan for the time being,” the high commission said in an email reply to Bernama.
The high commission also does not rule out the possibility that there are Malaysian citizens in Afghanistan that are unaccounted for and advised Malaysians to register with the commission and subsequently recommended that they (those unaccounted for) return and remain in Malaysia until the situation in Afghanistan has improved.
When asked about Malaysian businesses in Afghanistan, the high commission said it is not aware of any Malaysian companies currently operating in the country.
“The high commission encourages them to email at [email protected] or call at +91 11 2415 9300,” it wrote.