US issues humanitarian license but the Taliban remain blacklisted — live updates
- India has spoken with Taliban leaders
- US issues humanitarian license
This live article was last updated at 4:32 UTC.
Taliban celebrate first night without US presence
The Taliban took over Kabul airport on Tuesday following the departure of the last US troops and personnel, marking the first time in 20 years that there has been no official US presence in the country.
US: 98% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were able to do so
The US facilitated the departure of 98% of Americans that wanted to leave Afghanistan and said it remained committed to helping the 100 to 200 left behind.
“For those remaining Americans there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out,” Biden said.
India held talks with Taliban leaders
India has, for the first time, admitted to holding diplomatic talks with the Taliban. An Indian envoy met a Taliban leader in Doha, Qatar’s capital, after a request by the militant group.
US Treasury issues humanitarian license
The US issued a license that provides authorization for the delivery of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, in Afghanistan, a Treasury official told Reuters. The Taliban remains blacklisted by the US.
The license expires next March and comes amid widespread concerns over the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The UN reports that roughly half of Afghanistan’s population, some 18 million people, need humanitarian assistance. Half of all children in the country under five suffer currently from acute malnutrition amid a second drought in four years.
Tuesday’s developments: Taliban take airport, celebrate victory
After US forces left Kabul airport early Tuesday, the Taliban took charge of the facility and celebrated their victory.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, people in the eastern city of Khost watched a mock funeral featuring Western nations’ flags draped over caskets.
US President Joe Biden addressed the nation, calling the evacuation both a success and “the best decision for America.”
The UN warned of a humanitarian catastrophe while Europe looked to Afghanistan’s neighbors to shoulder more displaced refugees.
ar/jsi (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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