Houston-area families hoping to get family members out of Afghanistan
HOUSTON - While the U.S. announces the completion of withdrawing forces from Afghanistan, there are many local families hoping to get their family members out of the country.
"While the military evacuation is complete, the diplomatic mission to ensure additional U.S. citizens and additional Afghans who want to leave continues," said Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the top general of U.S. Central Command.
It’s a sign of hope for Afghans we have spoken to like Houstonian Naqibullah. He was a translator working with the U.S. Government. Now a U.S. Citizen, his family is camped outside the Kabul airport.
"Because of my service for the U.S. government, now they are suffering. My 7-year-old brother is suffering. He is supposed to be at school. He shouldn't be in the situation he is now," said Naqibullah.
MORE: Afghan who is now living in Houston says he knew about Taliban takeover
"Personally it is very painful to hear these things, notwithstanding all that is happening, we have a responsibility to try and do everything that we can," said Congressman Al Green who is trying to help. "We want to make sure that anyone that was of assistance to us, or supported persons who were of assistance to us, that we extricate them."
Green says he even sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge ongoing assistance. There’s paperwork involved, but in general, it’s your state representative that like Green, that contacts the state department on your behalf.
"We let the state department know that we have a person or some persons, who have either relatives or have someone who has been of assistance to us in Afghanistan, who needs to be extricated because this person is in harm’s way," said Green.
The state department responded to Green’s requests to help the Houstonian’s families in Afghanistan and received this letter saying in part:
"We are working around the clock to assist as many at-risk Afghans as possible. We take your inquiry very seriously and are processing it as quickly as we can.
"There’s also a vetting process before getting approved your visa. That interview is done in person, and now there’s no US Embassy in Kabul. So where do they go?"
No response from the state department.
We know the U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said Tuesday they are relocating their operations to Qatar.