Afghanistan: G7 world leaders prepare for emergency meeting
- Published
Thousands of Afghans are trying to fly out of Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover
World leaders are getting ready for an important meeting to talk about Afghanistan and what's happening there,
At the virtual meeting of the G7 groups of countries - which includes the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan - leaders will discuss the situation and try to make a plan for now and for the future.
Many thousands of refugees are crowded outside Kabul airport, desperate to leave.
After 20 years of conflict, the US says it intends to stick to its plan to pull all troops out of the country by the end of August.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from Kabul airport, where people are trying to board planes
While UK government officials said there is "no fixed date" on when the UK will withdraw, it is feared that without US troops on the ground, the remaining allied forces would be unable to secure the area.
The UK has more than 1,000 Armed Forces personnel deployed in Kabul.
Most refugees who have left Afghanistan had to leave most of their belongings behind, meaning they are arriving without even the most basic items.
That is why charities and organisations supporting refugees have asked people all over the UK to donate things like clothes and shoes.
The Rainbow Centre, in Scarborough in England, is supporting 92 people, including 64 children, who are temporarily being housed in a hotel.
The manager Trish Kinsella said the response had been "amazing".
"They've got very little - so it's been a lifeline for them," she said.
The talks between the G7 group of countries, of which the UK is currently the chair, will take place virtually and it is understood the main focus will be on the long-term future of Afghanistan.
But the ongoing evacuation will also be discussed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to ask US President Joe Biden to keep American forces in Afghanistan beyond 31 August in order to allow evacuation flights to continue.
US and UK forces are working together to evacuate people from Kabul
US President Joe Biden has said discussions were taking place about extending the deadline, but that "our hope is we will not have to".
He said US troops have expanded the perimeter around Hamid Karzai International Airport as part of efforts to speed up evacuation efforts, and the Taliban had cooperated with the move.
The civilian aircraft will help the US military with their evacuations
The UK is also exploring how hubs could be set up in countries bordering Afghanistan to help those who have worked for British forces to reach the UK once flights out of Kabul are no longer possible.
Mr Johnson has said it is "vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years".
