U.S. embassy says its ability to assist 'extremely limited' as it urges American citizens to flee Afghanistan

U.S. embassy in Kabul.
(Image credit: Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

The United States Embassy in Afghanistan is urging U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately as the Taliban continues to gain ground in the country amid a withdrawal of American troops.

However, the embassy said in a statement Saturday that its ability to assist those citizens who are still in the country "is extremely limited," even within the capital, Kabul, because of security concerns and reduced staffing. Evacuees should take whatever commercial flight options are available, the embassy said, adding that anyone "who cannot afford at this time to purchase a commercial ticket" to the U.S. can receive a "repatriation loan."

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.