Displaced Afghan families beg for food, shelter

While thousands of people have crowded the airport to try to flee, many others, like the families in the park, are stuck in limbo, unsure whether it is safer to try to go home or stay where they are

Crowds outside the airport the day after the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021.Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times

Reuters   |   London   |   27.08.21: Hundreds of Afghan families who have been camping in searing heat at a Kabul park after the Taliban overran their provinces begged for food and shelter on Thursday, the most visible face of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the war-torn country.

The Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan this month, culminating in the capture of Kabul on August 15, has thrown the country into turmoil. While thousands of people have crowded the airport to try to flee, many others, like the families in the park, are stuck in limbo, unsure whether it is safer to try to go home or stay where they are.

“I’m in a bad situation,” said Zahida Bibi, a housewife, sitting under the blazing sun with her large family. “My head hurts. I feel very bad, there is nothing in my stomach.” Ahmed Waseem, displaced from northern Afghanistan said those in the park were hoping the central government would pay attention.