Today, Saturday, the "Reporters Without Borders" organization asked US President Joe Biden for a "special plan to evacuate Afghan journalists," according to a statement issued by the non-governmental organization.
"Reporters Without Borders is asking the White House for a special evacuation plan for Afghan journalists (and human rights defenders)," the statement said, adding that evacuation plans "prepared by other countries (especially European) have been greatly hampered by access procedures to the aircraft."
"We receive dozens and dozens of emergency evacuation requests, our problem today is not getting visas or seats on planes, but enabling these people to get on the planes," Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Christophe Deloire said.
Six days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, the international community is concerned about the evacuation of thousands of Afghans, in light of the chaos that prevails at Kabul Airport, which is controlled by the US military.
Reporters Without Borders called for "facilitating the access of journalists and human rights defenders listed by various countries and organizations" as well as a "humanitarian corridor and dedicated perimeter" for them.
In order to achieve this, Reporters Without Borders is also calling for "the date of the end of the US military operation in Afghanistan to be postponed beyond the scheduled date. By August 31, it will not be possible to complete the evacuation of people at high risk, such as Afghan journalists."
"The image of the United States in defending press freedom and human rights is at risk," Deloire said, adding that the International Federation of Journalists had received "hundreds of requests for assistance" from Afghan media professionals, most of them women, among whom "panic and fear" prevailed.