THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in its August 23 situation bulletin, said a total of 182 overseas Filipino workers have left Afghanistan, while 17 are requesting company or government repatriation. At least 27 Filipinos still remain in the war-ravaged country.
The DFA said they are in contact with the 27 Filipinos and of this number 10 signified their intent to remain in Afghanistan, while the remainder have requested to be evacuated.
Some who left Afghanistan are not returning to the Philippines for various reasons, DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Menez said.
He added he believes those who are not leaving despite the risks have “mostly work-related” reasons.
All those workers who managed to exit Afghanistan, despite the chaos at the Hamid Karzai International Airport—where thousands of Afghans and foreigners desperate to flee the Taliban takeover of the country have flocked since Sunday afternoon—were assisted by various Philippine Embassies so that no repatriated worker in transit need not fully quarantine in the transit country, “as they will be undergoing quarantine upon arrival in the country.”
Many of the OFWs who exited Afghanistan on military planes of western or Asean countries are still in transit countries like the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, although some have gone on to European destinations.