UAE assists evacuation of more than 20,000 refugees as they flee Afghanistan

8,500 foreign nationals have utilised UAE aircrafts and airports in their escape

A woman leaves a military aircraft after being flown out of Kabul. Under Operation Apagan, people have been taken from Afghanistan to the French military airbase of Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi. AFP

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, left, and Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly talk to the press at Al Dhafra. AFP

French soldiers and civilians at the airbase in Al Dhafra. AFP

People gather at a reunion and evacuation centre at the base. AFP

People wait to be reunited with loved ones in Al Dhafra. AFP

People have their luggage checked by soldiers. AFP

A French soldier checks the temperature of a woman flown to the base from Afghanistan. AFP

More people arrive at the base. AFP

France has flown about 2,000 French citizens and Afghans from Afghanistan to the base. AFP

People walk on the tarmac as they disembark from a Airbus A400M military transport aircraft at the French military air base 104 of Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi, on August 23, 2021, after being evacuated from Kabul as part of the operation "Apagan". (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)

Follow the latest updates on Afghanistan here

The UAE has helped more than 20,000 people who have fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban regaining control of the country.

Afra Al Hameli, Deputy Director of Strategic Communications at the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, announced on social media that "up to today, the UAE has facilitated the evacuation of 20,522 people from Afghanistan".

She posted that the UAE had facilitated the evacuation of 12,022 people, mainly nationals from the UK, US, France, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Spain and Mexico.

Foreign nationals that have utilised UAE airports or aircrafts since the beginning of August to escape Afghanistan now total 8,500.

Leaders of the G7 advanced economies are expected to pledge unity on whether or not to officially recognise or sanction the Taliban when they meet virtually to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to two diplomatic sources.