Pen Farthing
(Picture: PA Media)An ex-Royal Marine trying to evacuate charity workers and rescue animals out of Afghanistan today pleaded with the Taliban to allow him safe passage out of Kabul.
Paul Farthing, known as Pen, tweeted that his convoy has had been stuck outside the airport for ten hours.
In a direct plea to the Taliban’s official spokesperson this morning, the 52-year-old wrote: “My team & my animals are stuck at airport circle. We have a flight waiting. Can you please facilitate safe passage into the airport for our convoy?
“We are an NGO who will come back to Afghanistan but right now I want to get everyone out safely.”
In a second tweet posted an hour later, he said: “We have been here for 10 hours after being assured that we would have safe passage. Truly would like to go home now.”
A privately chartered Airbus A330 - funded by donations - was said to be on standby to rescue the group.
He said there was “very credible reporting” of an “imminent” and “severe” threat to Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Mr Farthing founded the Nowzad shelter in Kabul after serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s, with the organisation rescuing dogs, cats and donkeys.
On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK Government was working with Mr Farthing and his animal charity to try to get him and his staff out of Afghanistan.
Two days earlier, Mr Farthing announced that the government had granted visas for all his staff and their dependants - totalling 68 people - but the evacuation of the shelter's animals has remained a sticking point.
However Defence Secretary Ben Wallace offered a glimmer of hope for the animals on Wednesday, saying officials would seek to facilitate their departure aboard the chartered aircraft if Mr Farthing arrived at the airport with his convoy.
He added if Mr Farthing and his staff chose not to bring the animals they could board an RAF flight, as all had been granted leave outside the immigration rules (LOTR) to fly to the UK.
"Now that Pen Farthing's staff have been cleared to come forward under LOTR I have authorised MOD to facilitate their processing alongside all other eligible personnel at (Kabul airport). At that stage, if he arrives with his animals we will seek a slot for his plane," Mr Wallace tweeted.
"If he does not have his animals with him he and his staff can board an RAF flight. I have been consistent all along, ensuring those most at risk are processed first and that the limiting factor has been flow THROUGH to airside NOT airplane capacity."
