Kabul: Even as different countries continue to make desperate efforts to evacuate their people from Afghanistan, the story of a British man trying to leave the war-torn country now under Taliban control with hundreds of cats and dogs has gone viral.
Former British soldier Paul ‘Pen’ Farthing, who runs an NGO called Nowzad and an animal shelter in Kabul, was caught napping after blasts near Hamid Karzai International Airport gate killed and wounded many people on Thursday. runs an NGO called Nowzad
Once the Taliban completed takeover of the country by moving into Kabul on August 15, Farthing realized it was time for him to pack up.
He was trying to leave Afghanistan with his pets and staff when catastrophe struck two days ago.
Fortunately for him, the UK government has assured him of assistance to leave Afghanistan. A charter flight will be arranged for Farthing to leave with his pets.
Farthing’s mission, popularly called ‘Operation Ark’, has generated a lot of support and sympathy on social media.
“Pen Farthing and his pets were assisted through the system at Kabul airport by the UK Armed Forces. They are currently being supported while he awaits transportation. On the direction of the Defence Secretary, clearance for their charter flight has been sponsored by the UK Government,” Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Farthing and his team had entered the airport area, only to be turned away as US President Joe Biden changed “paperwork rules”.
“Went through hell to get there and we were turned away into the chaos of those devastating explosions,” Farthing tweeted.
“All of a sudden we heard gunshots and our vehicle was targeted, had our driver not turned around he would have been shot in the head by a man with an AK-47,” Britain’s Press Association news agency quoted him as saying.
