The Department of Foreign Affairs also said there are a small number of Irish citizens who currently plan to stay in Afghanistan.
Three more Irish citizens have been evacuated from Afghanistan as 35 who want to leave remain in the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday.
It comes after Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney revealed on Thursday that three Irish citizens were able to successfully exit the country since the Taliban seized control.
One of these people was Aoife MacManus, who is from Meath and had been in Kabul for the past two years working with marginalised children in the primary education sector.
Earlier in the week, MacManus had described to Irish media from Kabul the “rapidly” deteriorating situation in the country.
Meanwhile, Coveney said that every day, the Department of Foreign Affairs get a “slight change” in the numbers of Irish people wanting to leave the Asian country.
In a statement to JOE on Friday, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: “The number of Irish citizens and dependents currently seeking to leave Afghanistan is 35.
“Six Irish citizens have now been evacuated. The Department is not in a position to disclose the specific details of those who have sought consular assistance.
“Our Embassy in Abu Dhabi is accredited to Afghanistan and is in ongoing contact with EU and other partners on the ground in Kabul. We do not have a diplomatic or consular presence on the ground in Afghanistan.
“However, in collaboration with European and other partners, we hope to facilitate further evacuations in the coming days.”
The Department added that the situation remains fluid and that gaining access to the airport in Kabul remains “extremely difficult”.
On Thursday, Coveney described this as the “biggest obstacle” for Irish citizens, stating: “A number of people have been killed around the airport in the last number of days, some of them crushed in the chaotic scenes of people trying to push their way into the airport.
“It’s actually very difficult to get people into the airport. It’s also difficult for some people to get to Kabul from where they are, and then from parts of Kabul to the airport.
“There are checks, run by the Taliban, and then there are large crowds still that you have to find your way through to get into the airport, which is predominantly being managed by US soldiers.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs also said on Friday that there are “a small number of Irish citizens who are working for UN and international organisations and currently plan to stay in Afghanistan”.
Main image via Sam Boal/©Rollingnews.ie
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
