Middlesbrough couple stuck in Kabul fear giving in to Taliban

A former Afghan refugee who lives in Middlesbrough has told how he is trapped in Kabul after his flight home from visiting relatives was cancelled amid the Taliban takeover.

Ahmed, now a British citizen, is in hiding and said pleas to the Foreign Office for help had been "ignored".

He said he had run out of money and would have to hand himself to the Taliban if he did not get help soon.

The Foreign Office said it continued to do all it could to secure safe passage.

Ahmed, not his real name, said he was in hiding with his wife.

He said he fled Afghanistan to the UK more than 20 years ago to escape the Taliban regime but had returned three months ago to visit relatives.

He said he had been told only Afghans who had helped the Allied Forces were allowed to leave.

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, said he was trying to assist Ahmed, and other constituents stuck in Afghanistan.

"We continue to press the government to do everything in its power to help all the British nationals who have as yet been unable to leave Afghanistan," he said.

Ahmed said every day he and his wife witnessed people being attacked by the Taliban.

"If we don't get help any sooner, we don't know what to do, maybe we just hand over ourselves to the Taliban and they do whatever they want to do," he said.

"We are just stuck here, scared, every day in front of us in the street the Taliban is attacking people, killing people, and putting them in the car and taking them."

Ahmed said he was unable to book another flight home before the Taliban regained power and was told to go to the airport by the Foreign Office.

"Because it was crowded, there were too many people there, thousands and thousands of people, I couldn't see any British Army," he said.

He said he was beaten by Taliban soldiers who broke his arm.

He said he also knew of seven other families from Middlesbrough who had been unable to get on a flight.

Ahmed also tried to reach British forces at Kabul airport on the day a suicide bomber killed 60 people.

He said friends had tried to send him money but he had been unable to access his bank account.

"I am really sick now, I do not know what to do," he said.

"I contacted the Foreign Office many times - they just say, 'wait, wait, and don't do anything'.

"We are just stuck here, scared, every day in front of us in the street the Taliban is attacking people killing people and putting them in the car and taking them.

"There is no hiding place any more, I do not know what to do, we are just stuck here."

Ahmed said he believed the UK government had not done enough to help him and other British citizens still trapped.

"First I had a feeling we can get out of this situation because we are a British citizen, I used to hear that the government would do anything to get you out of this country but now I get very hopeless.

"I just think I can't get out of here. I just feel scared and sad for myself, my wife and my other friends, for everyone and they don't know what to do."

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was in contact with British nationals and others it was trying to help.

A spokesperson said: "We have been clear that the Taliban must allow safe passage for those who want to leave.

"We will continue to do all we can to secure safe passage and deliver on our obligation to get British nationals and eligible Afghans out of the country."

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