Kerala asks MEA to help to return people stuck in Kabul

The Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NORKA), at the urging of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sent a letter to the MEA, urging the Keralites to return immediately.

NORKA sources said those stranded people have partnered with private companies in Kabul or with local offices of international organizations.

“One of them, who works for a US-based company, made a distress call to NORKA on Monday, asking for help with a safe return. Later, we learn that there are 36 Keralites stranded in Kabul.

As per the media, they are all safe and we are in contact with them and with the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ” the sources added.

Earlier on Tuesday India evacuated its entire embassy in Kabul and an IAF aircraft from Afghanistan, carrying 130 diplomats and around 20 Indian nationals, landed at Jamnagar Air Base.

The Foreign Ministry had said on Monday that was monitoring the situation “constantly at high levels” and is “in constant contact with representatives of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities.”

“The Government will take all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of the Indian citizens and our interests in Afghanistan. We are aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return.

However, we are in contact with them. We will facilitate the repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan, ”MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.