Interpreters who worked with the Australian and New Zealand militaries in Afghanistan say they feel abandoned by the governments they once served, after the last evacuation flights left Kabul.
As the Afghan capital reels from the twin bomb blasts outside its international airport, killing 73 and injuring more than 140, its citizens say they fear for their futures after the imminent departure of foreign troops.
With Australia, New Zealand, and several other allied countries ending evacuation missions because of the deteriorating security situation, those seeking to flee Afghanistan say they do not know how they will escape the Taliban’s now near-total control of the country.
One interpreter who worked for the Australian defence force was granted a temporary visa on Saturday after being initially rejected under Australia’s locally engaged employee visa program. He told Guardian Australia he spent five days outside the airport, sleeping in dirt with his wife and young child.
He said he stood for hours on Thursday at the airport’s Abbey Gate – where the first bomb blast later went off – and had moved just an hour earlier when his three-year-old daughter needed to be hospitalised for heatstroke.
“I was there one hour before the blast, exactly I was there, exactly where the blast happened at Abbey gate,” Mohammad – not his real name – said.
“My daughter got sick and I left. She was like in a coma, her eyes and mouth was disabled now she looks better, the problem is cash which is out and no bank at the moment, no exchange at all.
“Now I need to buy medicine for her but how? I have little money in my card but no bank, no ATM.”
The Australian defence force has evacuated 4,100 people from Kabul since the operation began early last week.
The figure includes more than 3,200 Australians and Afghan nationals with Australian visas, while the remainder were people airlifted on behalf of Australia’s coalition partners.
But with the government confirming Australian airlift operations will not resume, it remains unclear how many Australians and Afghans with Australian visas have been left behind.
Mohammad said he was “gutted” by Australia’s decision to end its evacuation mission, especially after he said he was granted entry to the airport by British soldiers a day earlier, only to be told his e-visa was not valid.
“I’m disappointed, I was already inside with visa and all papers in my hand with my kids. Why Australian soldiers kicked me out of airport? I wish Australia start flights again soon!”
Australian soldiers who served alongside interpreters say they are devastated their comrades have not yet found safety, and fear they will be the targets of Taliban retribution.
Corporal Benjamin Byrne, who was standing next to Mohammad when they survived a Taliban bomb that killed private Benjamin Ranaudo in 2009, had been lobbying the government to overturn Mohammad’s initial visa rejection based on a submission timeframe technicality.
He said it was through sheer perseverance that a visa was ultimately granted to Mohammad, but it now seemed to be worth little given Australia’s decision to end its evacuation missions.
“He was right there, he even had someone from Dfat on the phone to him from Dubai, but the Australian soldier talking to him wouldn’t take 30 seconds which could have saved his life.
“I’m pretty disappointed and its hard not be invested when you worked with the guy personally.”
Byrne said of Australia’s effort: “when push came to shove, we weren’t there”.
Jason Scanes, a former army captain who founded Forsaken Fighters to assist Afghan allies apply for protection visas, said he spoke with three interpreters who were at the airport at the time of the bomb blast. One interpreter was within metres of the explosion, Scanes said.
“He was trying to get on to the base through the checkpoint and was with the US soldiers showing his recommendation letter. He left his wife and children on the other side.
“He said the bomb went off and he got the pressure (from the blast) then there was lots of running, lots of bodies everywhere and he said and the smell - the burning smell of bodies was very, very bad.”
Scanes said the Australian government needed to a new plan to honour its promise of resettling those who had been granted visas.
“People are waiting anxiously. They’ve been told to go somewhere safe and they’re being told to await further information,” he said.
“Can the department update us as to what that second course of action to get those people that have visas out of the country will be?”
Guardian Australia spoke to an Afghan interpreter, Ali – also a pseudonym – who was approved for a resettlement visa in New Zealand after fears of reprisal from the Taliban for assisting allied forces.
He remains in Kabul, and is in contact with a group of 37 other translators, interpreters and other staff who assisted New Zealand forces in Afghanistan. He says none of them have been evacuated.
Told that the New Zealand government had ended its evacuation flights, he said, “It’s shocking news. I can’t believe it at all. No. I can’t believe it.”
“What will happen to us? To all 37 people who have the visas and have worked directly [for New Zealand]?
“My message is to not leave us behind. It’s a total betrayal. The government could seek another way.”
One former interpreter for Australian forces narrowly missed the suicide bomb attack outside Kabul airport, boarding one of Australia’s final flights to Dubai overnight.
He said he had waited with his young family at the gate where the bomb was detonated for more than 21 hours.
He said he was relieved and grateful to have been evacuated by Australia but worried for his colleagues left behind.
“Kids are sleeping now safe and secure without hearing the … gunfire,” he said.
“We are in Dubai now and are awaiting to be scheduled for the flight to Australia.”
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, played down the chances that Afghan nationals with Australian visas could escape on US or UK evacuation flights, saying: “to be honest, the opportunities for that will be very restricted.”
The defence minister, Peter Dutton, said: “some people will be trying to make their way to other borders to exit through Pakistan or other decisions that they will make based on their own circumstances”.
Dutton said he hoped China could persuade the Taliban to allow for the return of commercial flights.
“But at the moment it’s a war-like situation, let’s be very frank about it … we need to be realistic about the circumstances on the ground.”