US to expand evacuation flights from Kabul to Europe

US Air Force plane in Afghanistan

21 Aug 2021; MEMO: The US Department of State is expected to announce that evacuation flights from Kabul will be enabled to land in Europe due to an increase in the flow of evacuees into Qatar, US officials reported on Friday.

The US aims to intensify efforts to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghans at risk under Taliban rule.

The US Department of State declined to comment on the news, however, it expressed: "Special thanks to our partners around the globe who have been instrumental in this operation."

A senior US administration official indicated on Friday that the US commander on the ground in Afghanistan had ordered the resumption of evacuation flights following a short pause.

He added: "We had to take a short pause because we evacuated a very large number yesterday, and there was a degree of support as some third countries had completed the procedures of a number of people. The commander on the ground issued an order to resume operations."