Kathmandu [Nepal], August 16 : Nepal has sought help from various countries and the United Nations for the rescue and safety of its nationals working at various diplomatic missions and international organisations as the crisis continues to unfold in the war-torn country. In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested Nepali nationals currently in Afghanistan to get in contact and have written to foreign countries to help to evacuate them. “Nepal has also sent letters to the US, UK, Canada, Germany, European Union, Japan and the United Nations to keep Nepali nationals working with various diplomatic missions and international organizations in Kabul in safe places and help their repatriation home,” the Foreign Ministry statement read. The Ministry has also announced online registration to collect details of Nepali nationals currently living in Afghanistan. Those living in the country and wanting to return home can now register their name and provide other relevant details on the official website of the Department of Consular. The MoFA has publicised various ways to contact them including Viber and WhatsApp. Those seeking rescue flights can contact 977-9749326458 (Department of Consular Service) and 977-9749326459 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Likewise, the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi has already issued a travel advisory not to travel to Afghanistan as the Taliban have already captured all major cities including the capital city Kabul. The MoFA has asked manpower agencies sending Nepali nationals to Afghanistan for work to provide reliable data of Nepali nationals in Kabul to facilitate their safe return home. An estimated 6000 Nepali have made their way into Afghanistan in search of job opportunities but the government only has a record of about 1500 workers. Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment in the last five years has given work permits to 6637 to go to Afghanistan. As the situation unfolds in Afghanistan, the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi has been overseeing the matter and it only has the record of about 1500 Nepali nationals working in Afghanistan that too in Kabul. “As per our Embassy at Delhi, there are currently 1500 Nepali nationals in Kabul out of which 300 are working with US Embassy there,” SewaLamsal, spokesperson at Nepal’s MoFA told ANI over the phone. In 2016, a suicide bombing targeting security forces carried out by the Taliban claimed the lives of 13 Nepali nationals working for various diplomatic missions in Kabul. On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country in order to avoid “bloodshed” as Kabul fell to the Taliban and terrorists entered the Afghanistan presidential palace. In his first comments after he left Afghanistan, Ghani, in a Facebook post, said that from now on, the Taliban will be responsible for the “honour, wealth and preservation” of Afghanistan’s people. Ghani said he was faced with a “hard choice” between the “armed Taliban” or “leaving the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting the past 20 years. Earlier in the day, the Chairman of the Afghanistan Supreme National Reconciliation Council, Abdullah Abdullah in a video message posted on Twitter, addressed Ghani as the “former President” of Afghanistan. Abdullah also called on Afghans to remain calm and said, “hope this ‘hard day and night’ will pass soon and people will see peaceful days.” Earlier, there are negotiations going on in the Afghan Presidential Palace ARG to transfer power to the Taliban with Ali Ahamd Jalali as head of the new interim government on Sunday, according to the sources. Taliban terrorists are assuming control of the Afghan capital of Kabul and have taken control of the presidential palace after the country’s president Ashraf Ghani left for Tajikistan. Reports suggest that the movement will soon proclaim the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghanistan former President Hamid Karzai along with Abdullah Abdullah and former Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar formed a Coordination Council to prevent chaos and manage affairs related to a peaceful transfer of power. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday said that the Taliban have been asked to enter the capital city of Kabul. Mujahid, in an interview with Tolo News, also said that the security situation will remain under control in the city.
