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Children rescued from Kabul in the hangar of US Air Base Ramstein
Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP
Thousands of people have fled Afghanistan in the weeks since the Taliban came to power, and many more are still hoping for a chance to leave the country.
The majority of those who had fled were flown out by the US Army via the Ramstein hub in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The US Air Force has now announced that it has already brought half of the evacuees to the US or some other safe place.
More than 13,500 evacuees from Afghanistan were flown on, around 12,000 more were still waiting at the base in Ramstein for their onward journey, said the air force base.
In addition, around 1900 more evacuees are expected at the airfield in the Palatinate within the next 24 hours.
The largest US air force base in Europe continues to support the largest airlift in US history, the air base said.
Since August 20, the site has served as the "largest port of accommodation for evacuees" for the US European Command (Eucom).
In the past few days, most of the US planes came from Qatar, where those seeking protection from Afghanistan had initially been brought.
More than 130 aircraft with evacuated people have so far arrived at the Ramstein base.
People seeking protection, such as former US local staff in Afghanistan and their families, who are leaving their homeland for fear of the Taliban, are initially accommodated in tents and aircraft hangars in Ramstein.
You will be registered and medically treated if necessary.
Kabul airport is said to be open again from Friday
In Afghanistan itself, the resumption of civil flights is being prepared. Al Jazeera TV station reports that this should be possible from Kabul airport on Friday, citing an airport official. According to this, experts from Qatar are on site in Kabul to inspect damage after the fighting and attacks. The Taliban wanted to keep the airport in Kabul open, but could not do so without outside help. The Islamists maintain a representation in Qatar's capital Doha.
In the Slovenian town of Kranj, the EU defense ministers are discussing lessons from the Afghanistan mission.
Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) spoke out in favor of greater military independence for the EU.
"Afghanistan is a bitter end, is a heavy defeat," said Kramp-Karrenbauer in Kranj.
The EU must therefore "become more independent, be able to act more independently," demanded the CDU politician.
"Our credibility depends on this ability," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
At the same time, she emphasized: "It is very important that we do not do this as an alternative to NATO and the Americans."
mrc / dpa / AFP