UAE to temporarily shelter 5,000 Afghan refugees

The United Arab Emirates will temporarily host 5,000 Afghan citizens evacuated from the country following the seizure of Kabul by the Taliban Islamist movement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.

"The United Arab Emirates has agreed to host 5000 Afghan nationals evacuated from Afghanistan on their way to third countries. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced that, following a request from the United States, it would host the Afghans on a temporary basis, after which time they would travel on to other nations," the ministry said in a statement on late Friday.

The ministry added that the evacuees would arrive in the UAE on US aircraft in the upcoming days.

The Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, ending a weeks-long offensive and resulting in the collapse of the US-backed government.

Internationally-Recognized Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resigned and left the country for the UAE. The seizure of power has forced thousands of Afghans to seek escape from the country for fear of reprisals from the militants. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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