Evacuees who fled Afghanistan safely on United States soil

A U.S. service member greets a smiling child in a colorful outfit

Staff Photographer

Aug. 29, 2021 4:12 PM PT

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People fleeing the violence engulfing Afghanistan have arrived in Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

City, state and federal agencies as well as hospitals and nonprofits are providing food, comfort items and hygiene products as well as a medical evaluation “that includes a required COVID test, physical and mental health support services, and the opportunity to get a COVID vaccination,” officials said.

Volunteer interpreters who can help with Dari, Pashto, Urdu or Farsi are being sought.

The military hopes to expand the capacity there to 10,000, part of an effort to expand nationwide capacity to 50,000 by Sept. 15.

A line of refugees, some wearing face masks

Evacuees walk outside an airport building toward buses

A woman carries a young child who is holding a bag of snacks

A woman walks while holding hands with a girl

A girl and boy appear to have a staring contest as evacuees board a bus

A woman carries a child wearing a tiny denim vest over a baggy white shirt

Adults carrying small bags of luggage walk with children

Weary-looking evacuees line up to board a bus

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World & Nation

Kent Nishimura

Kent Nishimura is a former staff photographer with the Los Angeles Times, based in Washington, D.C. Born in Taiwan, Nishimura immigrated to the United States, grew up in Hawaii and is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the National Headliner Awards, the White House News Photographers Assn. and the National Press Photographers Assn., among others. He has worked on staff at newspapers across the United States and freelanced for many national and international publications before joining The Times in 2017.

Evacuees who fled Afghanistan safely on United States soil

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