POKHARA, August 16: Many Nepali nationals working in Afghanistan are worried for their safety after Taliban insurgents take control of Kabul-- the capital city of the war-torn Afghanistan-- on Sunday. The fear of potential attacks by the Taliban has led thousands of people to leave the country in a haste.
Birendra Godar of Rupa Rural Municipality-1 had been working as a security guard at the Embassy of Canada in Kabul for the past 11 years. The sudden uprising of the Taliban force has put him and many other fellow Nepalis like him in a difficult state. They have pleaded with the government of Nepal for their immediate rescue. Many of them are waiting for the government's assistance in hotels across Kabul.
According to Godar, as many as 200 Nepali and Indian citizens who worked at the Canadian embassy and the German embassy in Kabul are staying at the hotel near the airport. “We are all staying at the Johak Village Hotel near the airport. Bullets are being fired outside. We are at high risk and plead for our immediate rescue. Citizens from Nepal, India and many other countries are stranded at the moment,” Godar said.
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“We served the Canadian government for 11 years, but we were left stranded in a very difficult situation,” Yash Bahadur Baral Magar, a Nepali citizen working at the Canadian embassy said.
Similarly, Deepak Gurung, an Indian national, who also worked at the Canadian embassy for 12 years, is also currently staying at the hotel. “We are in a very difficult situation. We cannot even go outside as we are unsure of what will happen. We are living in constant fear,” Gurung said.
According to Gurung, they were left at the hotel by the security company and were told that a plane would come from Canada to take them to Istanbul from where they will be transported to their respective countries.
However, the airplanes meant to arrive for their rescue have not arrived due to the risk of the Talibans even as the airport has been taken under control by the US military forces. “Nothing can be said at the moment. Anything can happen to us if we are not rescued. We are stranded in Afghanistan and our family members are worried,” Gurung said.
The Taliban had been capturing one city after another following the departure of the US military from the country. The situation in Afghanistan has gotten worse after Taliban insurgents stormed the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. They have already announced their victory in their decade-long war against the establishment of Afghanistan.
