The Nepal government has started evacuating and repatriating its citizens from crisis-ridden Afghanistan after the Taliban’s capture of the South Asian nation.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that his government will provide protection to all Nepalis in Afghanistan waiting to be rescued.

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Deuba assured that his government will coordinate with the concerned authorities to make arrangements for the rescue of the Nepalis and said that the government has already taken cognizance of the issue.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are about 1,500 Nepalis in Afghanistan, including Nepalis that are deployed in UN missions and embassies of different countries.

But there are also data that over 14,000 Nepali citizens have reached Afghanistan for seeking jobs through the informal channels but the Nepal government is lacking the data.

Ensuring the fulfilment of the responsibility on the part of the government with caution and seriousness, Deuba elaborated that he had already instructed the officials concerned on Sunday to take stock of the Nepalis and their situation in Afghanistan and make arrangements for their emergency rescue.

“Necessary coordination and guardianship are the responsibility of the government for the Nepalis waiting for the safety of rescue,” he tweeted.

Many expatriates in Afghanistan have been returning to their home countries or elsewhere since the Taliban insurgents took control of Kabul on Sunday.

Many countries’ governments have been airlifting their citizens following the recent developments in Afghanistan.

Nepal’s government formed a committee to coordinate the repatriation of Nepalis in Afghanistan, the Nepali embassy in Delhi issued a notice urging Nepalis to prepare to return home.

For their journey back home, the embassy has requested the concerned employers, concerned Nepali and Afghan manpower companies to contact the embassy for the coronavirus PCR test and other necessary health check-ups and to book air tickets and fill in their details on the webpage of the Consular Services Department.

The embassy formally requested the relevant employers in Afghanistan, the UN, and other diplomatic missions, to facilitate the safe return of Nepalis working in their missions.