This archive report was first published on 24 August 2021.
US President Joe Biden has informed G7 leaders that the US is 'on pace' to complete its pullout from Afghanistan by August 31, but contingency plans are being drawn up in case the deadline cannot be met.
According to the White House, Biden told G7 leaders that the US mission in Kabul will end based on the achievement of its objectives, and that the country is currently on pace to finish by August 31.
However, the White House also acknowledged that the completion of the mission by August 31 depends on continued coordination with the Taliban, including access for evacuees to Kabul airport.
As of Tuesday, the US has evacuated around 58,000 people, including over 4,000 Americans, from Afghanistan since August 14, the day before the Taliban entered Kabul and took power.
European nations have also been involved in the evacuation efforts, with several thousand people being airlifted out of the country.
However, the Taliban has urged skilled Afghans not to flee the country, and has warned the US and its NATO allies that they will not accept an extension to the evacuation deadline.
Despite the challenges, the US and its allies are working to evacuate as many people as possible before the August 31 deadline.
Days earlier, the founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, said she was burning her students' educational records in an effort to protect them and their families.
Australia has also evacuated dozens of sportswomen and athletes under threat in the country, with some having been beaten as they fled.
The Taliban's victory in Afghanistan has sparked a humanitarian crisis, with many Afghans fearing a repeat of the brutal interpretation of Islamic law that the group implemented when first in power from 1996-2001.
