An Afghan child sleeps on the cargo floor of a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, kept warm by the uniform of Airman First Class Nicolas Baron, C-17 loadmaster, during an evacuation flight from Kabul, Afghanistan, August 18, 2021.
An Afghan child sleeps on the cargo floor of a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, kept warm by the uniform of Airman First Class Nicolas Baron, C-17 loadmaster, during an evacuation flight from Kabul, Afghanistan, August 18, 2021.
U.S. Air Force/1st Lt. Mark Lawson/Handout via Reuters
  • A photo shows an Afghan child being kept warm by a US Air Force uniform during an evacuation flight from Kabul.
  • The US is currently in the process of ramping up the evacuation of Americans and vulnerable Afghans from the capital Kabul.
  • Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Wednesday that "approximately 5,000 people" have been evacuated from Afghanistan.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A heartbreaking photo shows an Afghan child being kept warm by a US Air Force uniform during an evacuation flight on board a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Kabul.

Thousands of Afghans are looking to flee the country after the Taliban took over the country over the weekend. On Tuesday, more than 600 Afghans were seen crammed on a C-17 US military aircraft, fleeing to Qatar from Kabul.

Hundreds of people sitting on the floor of a transport aircraft
Evacuees crowd the interior of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, carrying some 640 Afghans to Qatar from Kabul, Afghanistan August 15, 2021.
Courtesy of Defense One/Handout via REUTERS

The US is currently in the process of ramping up the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies, and vulnerable Afghans from the capital city of Kabul.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Wednesday that "approximately 5,000 people" have been evacuated already, reported CNN.

"Right now, we are averaging about 20 sorties of C-17s every 24 hours," Milley added. A sortie is a military mission.

The Pentagon's goal is to get between 5,000 and 9,000 people out of Kabul daily, said Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, deputy director of the Joint Staff for Regional Operations, at a press briefing on Tuesday.

The White House also said Tuesday that the Taliban had agreed to the "safe passage" of civilians out of Kabul, after Commander of the US troops in Kabul, Gen. Frank McKenzie, met with Taliban senior leaders in Qatar on Sunday.

"I cautioned them against interference in our evacuation, and made it clear to them that any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defense of our forces," the general said in a statement, adding that his forces are "prepared to fully support US Embassy efforts to process and evacuate US citizens, partners, special visa applicants, and Afghans at risk."

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond the deadline of August 31 until all Americans and eligible Afghans have been evacuated. There may be as many as 15,000 Americans still in Afghanistan, reported AP.

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