Help more people escape Taliban, US told

Washington: A coalition of  organizations working to  evacuate people who could  be targeted by the Taliban  rulers in Afghanistan appealed Monday for more  assistance from the U.S. government and other nations  as conditions deteriorate in  the country.

Members of the AfghanEvac Coalition met in a video  call with Secretary of State  Antony Blinken to press the  case for additional resources  to help tens of thousands  of people get out of Afghanistan, now faced with  a deepening economic and  humanitarian crisis in addition to a precarious security  situation following the U.S.  withdrawal.

Participants said afterward  they were grateful for what  the State Department has  done so far, including helping to arrange a series of  evacuation flights for U.S.  citizens and residents since  the withdrawal, but more  will be needed in the months  ahead. “The State Department doing enough isn’t enough; we  need whole of government  solutions; we need the international community to step  up and we need it quickly,”  said Peter Lucier, a former  Marine who served in Afghanistan who works with  coalition-member Team  America. Winter is coming.  There is a famine already. Private organizations have  played an important role in  the evacuation and resettlement of tens of thousands  of Afghans since the U.S.  ended its longest war and  the government fell to the  Taliban.  -(AP)