Foreign Minister In Eriksen Soered (centre) told NRK that Norway will continue to evacuate as long as the airport outside Kabul is open, and that the Foreign Ministry will continue to operate with full force.
However, I would like to stress once again that this job is very demanding in a messy and sometimes dangerous situation, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to help all the Norwegian citizens who want to help with this tour, says Soered.
I don’t know how long they wait
The evacuees arrived in Norway in seven flights. Among those expelled were embassy staff, local staff and their families.
– We are very comfortable and happy about that, because they are in a vulnerable position, says Sored.
It doesn’t have a complete overview of how many people had to be evacuated and who are still waiting to get out. But the State Department’s 24-hour operations center in Oslo is in touch with everyone at or near the airport, working to help them with departure opportunities and how to act outside the airport.
Staff at the airport
The State Department has five employees at Kabul Airport who have now replaced Ambassador Ole Andreas Lindemann.
We work closely with the armed forces, police, immigration and health authorities on everything from identity checks to reception when travelers come from Kabul to Norway. We also have good cooperation with the Georgian authorities who help when our planes land in Tbilisi, Soreid says.
She says Norway and many other NATO allies have asked the US to continue the operation until it has had a chance to evacuate as many as possible.
– We do not know how long the airport will be open and evacuation will be possible. The Secretary of State says the time window could be short.
– We remain very concerned about the situation around the airport, which is chaotic and dangerous. Few people are still able to get to the airport now, she says, and she again asks Norwegian citizens and people with a residence permit to register at reseregistrering.no and contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if they want help.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
