CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — An Afghan refugee in the United States says he is “giving up hope” that his family in Afghanistan will be able to escape after the deadly suicide attack at Kabul airport.
Feroz Mohmand told NewsNation PRIME that his mom was held at gunpoint while his family unsuccessfully tried to make their way to the airport.
“My mom is sitting in a wheelchair, she can’t walk,” Mohmand said. “So saying that, ‘I’m going to kill you here. Why do you want to go to the infidel’s country? Let me shoot you so at least I can go to heaven’.”
Mohmand said some of his other family members were also attacked. They returned home, but should be making another attempt to get to the airport.
“I’m giving up hope after the tragic suicide attack that happened because the airport gates, sources are saying are closed,” Mohmand said. “And they will be captured by the Taliban. God forbid, I don’t even want to think about it. But this is really tough moment for us.”
The attacks killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, Afghan and U.S. officials said.
President Joe Biden vowed Thursday to complete the evacuation of American citizens and others from Afghanistan despite the attack.
Until then, Mohmand said his family will continue to hide from the Taliban.
“For example, one night my brother and my brother in law were sleeping in their car,” Mohmand said. “And my mom and everybody else was in the neighbor’s house. And they’re just they can’t go to their house to have their own pillows so they can sleep.”
As many as 1,000 Americans and many more Afghans are still struggling to get out of Kabul, including a group of California students and their parents stranded in the country.
Three families from a San Diego suburb have made it out of Afghanistan after they went to the country earlier this summer to visit relatives and got stuck there amid the chaos.
Five other families from El Cajon were still trying to get out, and U.S. government officials along with California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa were working on their safe return.
“We are worried, however, we’re very confident in the support of Congressman Issa,” said Tamara Otero, the president of the Cajon Valley Union School District, where these families are from. “We also have two other families that are not in Afghanistan, and we hope they’re on their way home.”
Otero also joined NewsNation PRIME. See her full interview in the player below.