MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Monday that the number of Filipinos who have departed Afghanistan has reached 182, with seven more able to leave since the Taliban seized control the nation last week.
According to a situation report, five of the seven new evacuees left Afghanistan on Sunday for Almaty, Kazakhstan, while two evacuated last week but have only now confirmed their whereabouts.
“Meanwhile the five Filipinos from Jakarta have arrived in Manila and are currently undergoing quarantine,” the DFA said.
Some Filipinos who left Afghanistan are not returning to the Philippines for various reasons, based on the report.
To date, the DFA has made contact with 27 Filipinos still in Afghanistan, with 17 requesting assistance to leave the country and the rest stating their intent to stay.
“All repatriates that have managed to exit Afghanistan have been assisted by various Philippine Embassies and Consulates General. The DFA has been working with various governments so that repatriates in transit need not fully quarantine in the transit country, as they will be undergoing quarantine upon arrival in the PH,” the DFA said.
The DFA called on any Filipinos in distress in Afghanistan to contact the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan by calling +923335244762 through Whatsapp/Viber, through the embassy’s Facebook page at facebook.com/atnofficers.islamabadpe, or send an email at isbpeatn@gmail.com.
