31 Aug 2021

Afghanistan: Former interpreter feels hopeless

From Morning Report, 8:50 am on 31 August 2021

An Afghan interpreter who worked for the New Zealand Defence Force in Bamyan Province says he and 36 of his colleagues, who were promised a seat on an evacuation flight, now feel hopeless after the government pulled its troops over security risks.

More than 500 people in Afghanistan eligible to come to New Zealand have been left to their own fate after a bombing at Kabul Airport put an end to further New Zealand Defence Force evacuation flights.

Basir Ahmad who worked for the Provincial Reconstruction Team is among those stuck. He'd been liaising with the government and had secured visas for himself and 36 of his workmates - but none of them made it.

He spoke to reporter Emma Hatton.

The government has said it's not giving up on helping those stranded in Afghanistan, but Ahmad says he has no idea what the plan is, or if it will come soon enough.