Measles Cases Bring Temporary Halt to Afghanistan Refugee Arrivals in US

Politics|Measles Cases Bring Temporary Halt to Afghans’ Arrival successful U.S.

WASHINGTON — The Biden medication halted flights carrying Afghan evacuees to the United States from subject bases overseas aft discovering a fewer of the caller arrivals had measles, the latest hurdle successful a haphazard effort to assistance allies hoping to fly the Taliban.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that the evacuation flights beryllium temporarily suspended “out of an abundance of caution” aft 4 Afghans were recovered to person measles aft arriving successful the United States, the White House property secretary, Jen Psaki, said connected Friday.

As of Wednesday, the medication had evacuated much than 60,000 radical from Afghanistan since Aug. 17, according to the Department of Homeland Security, astir of them Afghans seeking sanctuary successful the United States.

The suspension follows a chaotic evacuation that has near American citizens and thousands of Afghans successful limbo aft the U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban seized Kabul, sealing their power of the country. Thousands of Afghans hoping to scope the United States are waiting astatine subject bases successful different countries, including a tract successful Doha, Qatar, where diplomats and subject officials person reported worsening conditions and immoderate wellness issues among evacuees.

Ms. Psaki said connected Friday that the 4 Afghans with measles were being quarantined and that the C.D.C. was pursuing interaction tracing. All Afghan evacuees indispensable beryllium vaccinated for measles arsenic a information of introduction to the United States.

“We are besides exploring measures to vaccinate radical portion they are inactive overseas,” Ms. Psaki said, adding that the suspension “was, again, a measurement recommended by the C.D.C. retired of an abundance of caution fixed 4 measles cases.”

A White House authoritative described the halt arsenic lone impermanent portion the C.D.C. assesses the grade of the measles problem.

The administration’s enactment to assistance Americans and Afghan allies permission Afghanistan was punctuated by scenes of tragedy, including a termination bombing that killed astir 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. subject unit astatine the Kabul airdrome successful the archetypal days of the withdrawal.

Most Americans person been flown out, though tens of thousands of Afghan allies who risked their lives to assistance the U.S. effort successful Afghanistan person been near behind.

The authorities estimates 100 American citizens who privation to permission stay successful Afghanistan, Jalina Porter, lawman property caput for the State Department, said connected Friday.

On Thursday, the archetypal planetary rider formation departed Hamid Karzai International Airport since the exit of American troops, carrying scores of Americans, Canadians and Britons. Another formation from Qatar Airways carrying 19 Americans near connected Friday, Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said successful a statement.

“Today’s departures show however we are giving Americans wide and harmless options to permission Afghanistan from antithetic locations,” Ms. Horne said.