I was one of the lucky interpreters – but the west is leaving many Afghans like me to die

Leaving thousands of people in Afghanistan at the mercy of the Taliban, or at direct risk from terrorist groups, is immoral

Afghans flee the Taliban at Kabul Airport (AP)

I was evacuated from Kabul on one of the last flights before Thursday’s devastating terrorist attack by Isis-K. Now, flights out of Hamid Karzai International are grounded. If planes do not begin flying again soon, the tragic loss of life from the blast will only be a taste of things to come in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Every day until departure, I stood waiting in the blazing desert heat at the capital’s airport with my three young children and wife, desperate to board an evacuation flight. One day while waiting amongst the thousands crowded there, my four-year-old fainted from heat exhaustion. Still, we went back and kept trying at the airport gates.

Having worked with coalition forces as an interpreter since 2003, I qualified for evacuation, as do hundreds of other Afghans in a similar position. But the west’s rapid retreat from Kabul has left many in limbo, unable to secure tickets out. More time is needed to evacuate, to honour the promise our employers made when we readily signed up to serve the coalition at huge personal risk.