WASHINGTON (KKTV/AP) – Thousands of Afghans fleeing the country may soon be housed at American military installations.
A top U.S. defense official confirmed plans were in the works to temporarily shelter Afghan refugees at three installations: Camp McCoy, Wisconsin; Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Lee, Virginia.
The world has been inundated with heart-wrenching images of Afghan citizens desperately trying to get out as the Taliban tightens it grips on the country. Videos Monday showed a crowd running after a cargo plane, some grasping at the wings in a frantic effort to leave with it; in one horrifying clip, people could be seen falling from the air after takeoff. Seven people died at the airport amid the chaos.
Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell provided the following statement to 11 News regarding the plan for refugees:
âOn Sunday, August 15th, Defense Secretary Austin approved two requests for assistance from the State Department to transport and temporarily house Afghan Special Immigration Visa applicants, their families, and other individuals at risk.
â… The Department will provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for up to 22,000 Afghan SIV applicants, their families and other at-risk individuals. The US Northern Command will coordinate details with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as necessary. This support will be provided under Presidential Drawdown Authority to the maximum extent possible, with additional support being provided on a reimbursable basis.
â… The Department will provide protection, air transportation, and processing of up to 30,000 at-risk individuals from Kabul. This total includes embassy personnel, US citizens, Afghan SIV applicants and other at-risk individuals. 8,000 of these will be transported to a third country for processing, with an additional 22,000 being transported to the United States. The Department of State will be responsible for onward travel for all transported individuals.â
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that the U.S. Defense and State departments are working together to evacuate as many Americans and Afghans as quickly as possible.
Kirby says several thousand U.S. service members now arriving in Afghanistan will be there for the next couple of weeks to help with the evacuation.
Copyright 2021 KKTV. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
