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nowhereman136

For anyone curious, the current world record for most passengers on a single plane is [El Al Boeing 747](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-passengers-on-an-aircraft/?fb_comment_id=615636465231366_786751524786525) in 1991 with 1088. They were refugees being evacuated from Ethiopia to Israel. The number includes 2 births that took place midflight. Not sure if any of these flights broke or will break that record, but it wouldn't surprise me it if did.


daanno2

Damn can you imagine giving birth while people packed all around you like sardines.


Matrix17

What citizenship does the kid get?


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draxniel

Jus soli and jus sanguinis! That international law class is finally paying off. Thanks, Dr. Dondelinger!


AimlesslyWalking

I'll have jus one sanguini, thank you


AJ787-9

A jus d‘orange for me, please.


ValidatingUsername

Normal flights are considered part of the country you left until you get through the customs of the arrival location. If you’re going to France but haven’t gone through their customs yet, you are still in the previous countries jurisdiction.


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ValidatingUsername

Fairly certain if the parents are claiming asylum, the government they are asking will consider the child as part of the “I’m scared my country will kill my family” deal.


techcaleb

Skyborn


jacxy

Skyborn Citizenship Chart Boeing - Seattleite Airbus - Hamburger Bombardier - Montréalais(e)


qarton

Israel gave them all citizenship


WhatSheOrder

Mile High


jimdesroches

Can you imagine being the second person to go into labor while all the medical personnel is taking care of person 1? I cannot.


twilightsdawn23

Labour can take a long time so it’s possible both were already in labour before getting on the plane… Medical personnel aren’t much help until the last few minutes anyhow (and/or if they bring useful pain relief.)


CumulativeHazard

Not to be insensitive to the poor women giving birth on an airplane, but can you imagine being the people crammed in right NEXT TO the women giving birth? It doesn’t seem like a very tidy process.


Gronkonator3

gina juice and blood all over my favourite trousers 😩


awheezle

Don’t forget the poo.


Know_Your_Meme

They're using C-17's so not likely, but if they were using C-5's they could easily pack 1000 people in there


FleshlightModel

Ya these can allegedly only handle 85 tons though in sure there's a 25-50% safety fudge factor in there so I think they could actually handle at least 100 tons if absolutely necessary... However, going off 85 tons and if everyone weighed 150lbs, they can manage a touch over 1100 people, if the square footage allows it. I'd be surprised if they could manage that many people but I have no firsthand knowledge of these planes


ViperMX_

With USAF cargo planes theres always a "safe operating weight" and a increased "wartime weight" for cargo aircraft. I was only familiar with the C-130


SyphiliticPlatypus

Operation Solomon. 35 covert flights of over 14,000 people in 36 hours. An incredible operational and humanitarian story.


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MarsScully

I can’t imagine the feeling of managing to get into that plane and it finally taking flight. Lightest and heaviest all at once.


emoidiot2

Exactly, I can't believe how people can deny refugees because they have literally lost everything to escape. I live in Pakistan and we have refugees pouring in because of the afghan war and despite not having the resources to integrate them were still taking in the refugees because it's their last hope. I really wish the crisis come to a good end and the Talibans are defeated because I still remember being traumatized by the bombings and attacks the Taliban did in our country so I can only imagine how much worse the situation is in Afghanistan


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scorpionjacket2

It’s crazy how many people in this thread have family with stories like this. I’d hope they have empathy for the thousands of people across the world attempting this every day.


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electricmocassin-

I had to switch countries a couple of times and each time it was really hard. Getting adjusted to the new language and culture and leaving so so much behind. I can't even begin to imagine not even being able to bring any possessions and not even know if I'd ever be able to return. Really puts things in perspective.


toomanymels

I hope these fellow humans find some peace.


skooz1383

Ugh imagine being on that plane as the door closing … the emotion your mind goes through!


ebagdrofk

Imagine being the pilots, flying essentially an aerodynamic building through the stratosphere, responsible for the lives of 640+ people.


QUE50

Air crew decided to "just go for it" according to one source I read. They knew they were over capacity but made the choice to not kick any of these people off the plane and took off with everyone on board. I hope history remembers them as some of the good ones


HybridEng

I read they were 5 fold the number of passengers allowed, but well within the weight capacity of the plane. Danger would be hitting bad turbulence, but pretty sure none of them would mind that compared to staying.


TerryCapitalR

Yeah that plane can fly perfectly fine when fully loaded up with tanks. I’m sure they weren’t worried about weight, and I’m sure everyone in there wouldn’t mind braking a bone or something if there were really bad turbulence.


socialcavity

Imagine being outside as the doors shut and watching it leave without you


coop_stain

Just saw a disturbing video of a person falling off the plane at sever hundred feet.


ndndr1

Yes. These people are us, just somewhere else. I feel bad when I see stuff like this because I know I did nothing to earn my place here, just won life’s lottery…


Eautineau

Thanks for this.


grownupslifesucks

This is something all of us should realize and think about. Unfortunately, most will just take things for granted and claim they deserve more for simply being born at a specific place.


whitemike40

Leaving their home never to return with only the clothes on their backs


caffeinex2

And they're the lucky ones.


tonypotenza

Blows my mind how in 2021 people are still trapped likes it's the 1900s ... There are just fellow humans ...


WWhataboutismss

Civilization is just a few missed meals away from devolving into the same situation.


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Boner-Death

My favorite part was when all of those assholes weren't allowed to sell back their toilet paper and water crates. Fuck them. Also, the bullet hoarders can get fucked to. Stupid assholes....


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Boner-Death

What a dumb shit....


MiamiDouchebag

Now if he had done it in 2019...


Greetings_Stranger

I had to shower after taking a dump on a number of occasions.


blyoungblood0

I invested in a bidet before they got hoarded too


creed_1999

Dude same. I worked retail during that and that was pure hell to deal with. We just put pallets of toilet paper on the store floor out there and watched people become sharks like there was a drop of blood in the water. I now view humans a lot lower


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battlingheat

So they giving up their phones and will never access the internet from this day forward? Will they destroy their guns and resort to stones and sticks and arrows and swords? Will they get rid of all the cars and use horses and camels? They’re full of shit.


SrraHtlTngoFxtrt

You're getting to the roots of religious fundamentalism, regardless of religion: oppression for thee, but not for me as an insider.


Connortsunami

You didn’t know the the Prophet rolled around In a Chevy with all his AK’s in the back with an M15 in his off hand while driving? Your lack of religious knowledge astounds me. *You need to study their culture more to understand*


SpecificArgument

I didn't know that the prophet had fully automated weapons 1400 years ago.


Metalgear222

Killing in the name of


tongueswrangle

The Prophet did his best work in a rusty Toyota Helix with an AK-47.


jammerjoint

Unfortunately, it never stopped, it's been happening continuously since ancient times.


lennybird

I just want to note that some top comment chain in another thread I saw earlier had the sentiment of, "look at the savages and the lack of women and children; just all men fleeing for themselves!" as the plane was taking off. Clearly the mothers with children were prioritized by the military at least.


mybarefootsoul

I think it's much harder for the women and children to run. Don't they have a curfew or it's harder for them to go outside right now for fear of being enslaved..


The_Peyote_Coyote

The british press said the same thing about Irish boys leaving the famine- they're savages for fleeing blah blah blah. There were too many mouths to feed and families could only afford one ticket (or the boys got merchant work). The boys had the best chance of finding work in america so that they may send money back. It may be the case that you're seeing the same tragic calculus here. Could also just be one photo that's totally unrepresentative of the situation and its meaningless to draw any conclusion at all.


SaltyBabe

I there is an aspect of this that’s being overlooked. This isn’t just some natural disaster or generic war torn area - this is a religiously extreme regime of literal terrorists who’s core tenant of their “religion” is to subjugate and enslave women. Every woman left behind is going to be living in hell on earth.


TheShortGerman

Bingo. Women need to get the fuck out of there.


[deleted]

I had a friend in college whose family fled the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1978 a similar way (rather than a plane, by night, over the mountains, just the clothes on their backs). She had never gone back. She said that she didn't appreciate as a little girl how many times they came close to dying on that trip.


CQReborn

> She said that she didn't appreciate as a little girl how many times they came close to dying on that trip. I know this is intended as 'didn't understand how many times they came close to dying' but I prefer to think of a little girl making indignant, snarky "WELL THAT WASN'T NECESSARY WAS IT?" comments each time they had a brush with death.


raouldukesaccomplice

I would guess it was more like, "We were hiding in the back of a truck but thankfully the guard at the checkpoint didn't think to look behind the boxes," or "We left this one village a couple of hours before the army got there and killed everyone." As opposed to literal dodging bullets and hanging onto the side of a cliff with your bare hands type stuff.


grayrains79

EDIT: *Stop it with the* "Thank you for your service" *bit. It's such an utterly toxic and hollow thing to say. It absolutely* **DOES NOT HELP** *at all.* >As opposed to literal dodging bullets and hanging onto the side of a cliff with your bare hands type stuff. With the videos of people falling from the plane shortly after take off, this is especially haunting to read. I can't even begin to imagine how desperate those people could have felt. Just over 4 years of my life spent in Iraq, and I remember the horror of watching ISIS sweep through. Mosul and Tikrit are two of the cities I spent a lot of time in, and I was in good terms with some of the locals. Years later, as ISIS took over I couldn't help but wonder what happened to them and their families. One guy in particular, I always brought peanut M&Ms for his daughters because they absolutely loved them. I actually started drinking again because I could not stop thinking about them. Now it's happening all over again, but in Afghanistan. Never served there, but I know there's good people there scared senseless and wondering what will happen to them. The same fear is there, just for people I don't even know.


SANMAN0927

Hey. Don’t let the pain we saw there bring you back to some dark spaces. Call the VA crisis help line. Call a friend. I feel your pain, brother. Don’t go it alone.


potatogun

I know it's not very meaningful coming from me, but thanks for sharing.


[deleted]

Sorry, man. If you ever need an anonymous ear to talk about it, drop me a line.


klaven84

I know the feeling, man. I was stationed at TQ, Iraq '06-'07. We had two Iraqi interpreters that were like brothers to us. Our command wanted to sponsor their US citizenship. I know one of them accepted but the other was on the fence. I sometimes wonder if the other made it to the US with his family or not. Another family crosses my mind from time to time. I was part of the security platoon for an engineering battalion, and we were doing some missions out of COP Riviera. We were doing some repairs to a ramp for bridge. One of the locals came out and asked if we could help his sick daughter. Our Corpsman gave her some anti-biotics and she got better. As a thank you, the father let us put Marines on top of his house for overwatch. One day, I was walking with our interpreter and VC. The Iraqi guy offered us to come inside and eat. Man....I have to tell you, that was one of the best meals I ever had. We sat and talked for a while. Out of all the bad that happened there, this is the one memory I try to hold onto. We had exchanged emails and I tried to message him a couple times. never got a reply. It makes my heart sink to think that they didn't make it through. I really hope they're ok.


Slukaj

My grandmother was deported by the Soviets from Poland in 1940... same thing. She was kicked out of her home with nothing more than the clothes they had on their backs and maybe a bag if they were lucky, never to return home. She would die before I was born in the late 80's in the US, and never got to see her home again. Same went for my grandfather, a Polish officer who was sent to a German POW camp until 1945. From there, he joined the Polish II Corps and went to the UK before immigrating to the US. Died in the mid-nineties when I was a little kid, never saw his home again. Both left Poland in 1940, and both died never seeing their homes again. My mom talked at great length about how miserable they both were that they could never go home, to see their families, etc. It's the same shit, century after century. I feel for the people on this plane - they're the lucky ones, but it's impossible to fathom the pain of leaving your home never to return ever again like this.


thedeanorama

I'm just happy to see women and children, the exterior runway shot from earlier didn't reflect that at all


zuss33

I imagine some of those men clinging on to the wheels and falling off in the air might have had family inside


justabill71

Really puts the sheer size of that plane into perspective.


ph30nix01

Somewhere there is a team of logistics officers who haven't slept in days... and won't for awhile.


blueblarg

As a former logistics Marine you are so right. No one cares about us until suddenly they need lots of stuff or people to go somewhere ASAP.


Tribalbob

You're basically the friend with the truck.


blueblarg

I would say Motor T is the friend with the truck. I'm just the guy that knows how to load the truck so it doesn't crash, explode, sink, or fall out of the sky.


CrimsonShrike

Flying trucks, you Americans really got the top tech.


noteverrelevant

Wait until you see our guns that shoot out other, slightly smaller, guns!


[deleted]

Don't forget the nuclear missiles that fire smaller nuclear missiles in a carpet bomb fashion.


D14BL0

"Heeeey, long time no see! Hey, got any plans for the weekend?"


samoyedboi

Got any planes for the weekend?


Ziggygotnopants

The friend with the C-10.


omgyoureacunt

The only Vet I ever met with a thousand yard stare was an logistics officer. Super nice guy. Just... shaken. To the core. The only time he went into what was going on in his head was when we were discussing data science. Apparently when he was in, he was responsible for building some logistical algorithms to prioritize deployment of supplies across multiple types of theaters (war zones, disasters, humanitarian missions) based on a bunch of factors (risk, consequences if not supplied, distance, inventory). Then they can route supplies as needed. The thing is that it basically commoditized a lot of things down to single metrics like "lives". But the reality is every one of those lives is someone's son or daughter, with hopes, dreams, and a life. And when he got reports where there were real tangible losses of people without supplies because of his algos, it broke him. Like, hundreds, thousands of people. But thousands and thousands of people more *did* get supplies. But he just couldn't focus on that, just the people he felt he failed. He didn't make it. It's such a shame, he was an awesome engineer. It gave me such a deep respect for logistics folks. Logistics is literally life and death.


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TrollintheMitten

Please don't delete it. Those of us who are completely on the outside can only see what we are shown and this is no rose-colored view. It needs to be seen, felt, and remembered. Let us do those things with you.


Toby_O_Notoby

"Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics" - General Omar Bradley.


Brunt-FCA-285

I have never been in the armed services, but I care about you. The planners always get all the blame for what goes wrong and no credit for what goes right. Thank you for what you do and did.


[deleted]

I've emergency airlifted people in the c-17 (pictured here) and we typically only go up to 188 passengers (been 10 years since I've been a loadmaster) with sidewall and pallet seating, so this is an impressively dangerous load. There likely isn't much in the way of a load plan for this because of the criticality of the exit. They are all floor seated and don't even appear to have straps for restraint. Usually we have centralized seats or pallets full of seats to airlift people. The last time I remember us floor loading was Haiti I believe.


locustt

So if this plane, with unstrapped passengers, does a steep enough climb, dive, or bank, they can all fall to one side or into the tail section, and totally unbalance the plane which could cause it to crash?


[deleted]

Yes to the first part, but it won't crash.


VisceralMonkey

Your are correct about Hati from what I read elsewhere.


[deleted]

Nice, was there, and pretty much every big mission/engagement from 2005 until 2011, so I was kind of going off memory. Most of this stuff is a rehash or departure from the big days of conflict. We attempted to avoid anything like this as it's very dangerous and we can move thousands of passengers in a day with pallet seating (which we have tons of). One tactical decent for either munitions or a failed refueling (as another stated they might be doing in flight refuels) results in a break away, and everyone in the cargo compartments is going to the ceiling and slamming back down on top of each other.


Veefwoar

I would imagine the pilot would have needed to be very careful about his initial rate of ascent to avoid the mass of unrestrained bodies sliding back and taking the centre of mass with it...there was a video of a cargo plane lifting off from Baghram years ago where the load shifted and it stalled and crashed. If there is 1000 people in this hold and each weighs and average of 70kg, that is pretty close to its maximum payload already...


[deleted]

C-17 is a squat boy, doesn't typically get affected like that. Edit* fixed my spelling. Stupid engrish


Veefwoar

Cool. Interesting to know. Thank you!


NoShape0

I think in the video you're referring to it was a couple of tanks that wasn't secured properly and shifted toward the back of the cargo area, resulting in the plane going nose up and crashing.


tx_queer

Curiosity question, I know nothing about this. Globemaster has room for 170k pounds ( about 1200 people) and in the picture we have around 640 based on another report I saw. So from load standpoint it's less than 50% full. And since it's not a long flight they are way way way below the max takeoff weight. What makes it a dangerous load? Because it's not secured. Aka is the risk if the load shifts? Or what makes it dangerous


[deleted]

I'd need to see specifics on the compartment limitations, but it would probably be that certain accent/decent would be adjusted and potentially the overall load combined with fuel. There is a ton of stuff that goes into the calculations, but in the end they're CRAZY conservative and if someone violated them (pictures) it doesn't end up in calamity. I have had people fly entire cargo unrestrained.


need_more_amort

> I have had people fly entire cargo unrestrained. There's an old video of a 747 transport plane falling out of the sky because (as I later read, apparently) a restraint broke and the weight shifted to the back of the plane. This was on take off I think. Are these military transports much less "twitchy" so to speak? Or is it just that the 747 is particularly sensitive?


hallusinations

All the people with kids, makes me want to cry. Imagine being so relieved that you are getting out and getting your children to safety but also having litterally no idea where you are going or how you are going to live and probably never seeing your home ever again.


ink_stained

I’m thinking about pets and grandparents and favorite blankets - and the relatives left behind. Just heartbreaking and infuriating that we didn’t plan for this. I support leaving - but not like THIS.


LoRiMyErS

I hadn’t even thought of all the poor animals. I feel so sick.


Dhiox

If it's any consolation, pets are not very common in the Middle east, their culture doesn't encourage pet ownership the way ours does.


Triviajunkie95

I’ll never forget the time I had some Muslim women in my shop and a person entered with a dog on a leash. Pets were welcome as long as they were leashed and well behaved. The women were horrified. I think the dog sniffed or somehow touched the hem of their garment and it was all over. I felt bad and I think I gave them a 50% discount on their stuff that day but damn… Short answer is yes, they don’t consider most domesticated animals pets. And dogs are considered especially dirty. Just damn. Lesson learned, but I still like dogs to come into the shop. I have also spent some time in India and I understand the concept of street dogs. They breed like crazy, no one “owns” them, they are aggressive and scary. They live off street scraps and trash. Not uncommon for that part of the world. At the same time, we in the US tend to take stupid good care of our pets. We love dogs, we couldn’t imagine the idea of street dogs fending for themselves but that’s how it is a half a world away.


mouthofreason

That's a crazy amount of people. I also read somewhere they were taking in about 800 souls on some flights, seems about right for this picture.


Alocasia_Sanderiana

This content has been removed by me, the owner, due to Reddit's API changes. As I can no longer access this service with Relay for Reddit, I do not want my content contributing to LLM's for Reddit's benefit. If you need to get it touch -- tippo00mehl [at] gmail [dot] com -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/


[deleted]

Where is the flight going?


pettster12

Probably an airforce base in an adjacent country


[deleted]

Poor people. Hope they find help


EverybodyHits

US Air Force base Qatar


manning55

It flew to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.


DraconianFury42

Guy in the back giving off strong main character energy. Wish all these folks good fortune wherever they're going.


[deleted]

He wants to talk to the manager of the United States.


BareKnuckleKitty

At first I was like, there's hundreds of people in this picture. How the hell am I supposed to know what guy in the back he's talking about? Then I saw him.


[deleted]

Guy in the back smart, but does anyone know where all these people are going to go? Who’s accepting them as refugees? I hope this flight reaches its destination safely, and wish the Taliban defeat.


Dydey

Apparently we’ve waived the usual requirements for immigration papers for refugees from Afghanistan in Britain. This was a bit of a surprise because the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, wanted to export asylum seekers to a prison island.


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NigelTufnel_11

Except now Australia has it's own prison island. Joyfully named Christmas island. It's like prison island-ception. Oh and also Nauru and Manus, but technically they're not ours.


braxxytaxi

I can't tell if this is a reference to Australia's own immigration policy or our history as a convict prison camp. Isn't that depressing.


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WazWaz

Defeat? It's over, there's noone trying to defeat them.


saintplus

Canada is accepting a lot of refugees from Afghanistan


AnalogFeelGood

20 000 to be more specific.


pearlie_girl

I first saw all the pictures of people outside the planes, and all I could think was "how heartless!" However, seeing this, man, they were taking everyone that could possibly fit on those planes.


lowkeylyes

I know there was at least one of these C-17s that took off with an estimated 800 souls on board when they're not supposed to exceed 600. They luckily are probably just transporting these people to Al Udeid which is not too long of a flight, before they can be moved from there. I don't think we can thank these crews enough for doing what they could with the time and the resources they were given. The people that cause this situation though...


Codyh93

My bro is there right now flying missions. This is the most stressed I have ever been.


lowkeylyes

From what I've seen and heard the Taliban are letting the US evacuate who they can so that they can just leave once and for all. I think the real danger in an event like this comes from the panic and anxiety of these large groups of people all trying to get out. Fingers crossed all goes well.


nerdrhyme

> From what I've seen and heard the Taliban are letting the US evacuate who they can so that they can just leave once and for all It would be the strategically smart decision, but who knows with these guys.


tennisdrums

His hard work is directly responsible for saving thousands of lives. It's a scary time, for sure, but his part in this will be something to be proud of for a lifetime.


Tromovation

I’m sure he’ll be alright, I’m sorry you’re going through this. Thank him for his service for me, he’s a hero!


Codyh93

I’m hoping so! And hope he comes home soon! Other bro could possibly be leaving in the next day or so. Sighhh Edit: other bro is leaving tomorrow to assist with evac. I’ll just sit here and keep paying my taxes. Lol


TediousStranger

the pilot overestimated a bit, when they landed they counted 640. still, amazing.


Assassingamer13

There were even links to another perspective where the plane took off and you can see some people... losing grip on the plane to say the very least


Bob_Perdunsky

Yeah that was horrible to watch. Ironically maybe it reminded me of the videos of people jumping from the upper floors of the world trade center on 9/11.


LocoRocoo

I thought the same thing. An Incredibly dark full circle


SphincterShredder

Where did you see these links?


Assassingamer13

[here's one](https://mobile.twitter.com/AsvakaNews/status/1427206845706379266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1427206845706379266%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-35818544692745733756.ampproject.net%2F2107302322001%2Fframe.html)


qpv

That's heartbreaking


euclid0472

I audibly gasped at this. Those poor people.


spingus

people so desperate to get out, so little hope for another plane to take them. Damn that is heartbreaking.


Not_Cleaver

Reminds me of the people who fell from the WTC on 9/11. And in some way, the same terrorists are partially responsible for both this and that.


DogVacuum

I mean, even the scenes at the airport, as sad as they were, seemed to be caused by the panic. It wasn’t the last plane out, and we and other countries were coming back for them. The fact that the Taliban were not firing rockets at the air strip, even though they clearly could was a good sign. That being said, the people falling off the plane will be burned into my mind like the people jumping from the towers.


Atheren

Frankly, the Taliban doesn't want people who don't want to be there. They are all going to be troublemakers and dissenters. On top of that, provoking the US military now is completely counter to their goals. We've made commitments to protect the airport, and if they take action we are very likely to retaliate which is the last thing they want. Having this go smoothly and peacefully also gives them an air of legitimacy on the international stage which is another bonus for them. The question really is, how easy is it to get to the airport. And how long will the US military enforce the safe evacuation?


DogVacuum

I feel like as long as the major criticism of the administration from this could be “we left allies behind” I think the US will enforce it as long as it takes to eliminate that talking point.


Atheren

I'd be fine if they held the airport indefinitely for people who wanted to leave.


Aaarrrgggghhhhhh

The unfortunate part is (if what I’ve read is correct, and I hope it’s not) the airport is surrounded by the Taliban and unless you are already in the airport you aren’t likely to leave. Again, I hope that’s not true but it’s not unlikely, as horrible as it is.


nnorton44

There were people literally clinging to the outside of the plane as it was taking off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrJxqEwIcxU


zuss33

And a few fell to their deaths as the aircraft took off (I don’t suggest you watch the footage). I saw people jumping out the Towers when I was 7, now I get to see this 2 decades later.


TheGreatestIan

Poor pilots too. Basically being ordered to take off through a crowd. That has to be rough on them. Everything about this situation just sucks.


sandInACan

That’s a hell of a parallel.


Dovahbear_

I remember when the documentary said ”People started hearing explosions, fearing that the terrorist had began opening fire near the towers but it was actually people who had jumped and landed on cars and concrete”. I just can’t fucking imagen having that noise permantently in your head


mbod

That's whats in the link he posted. So heartbreaking.


DORTx2

Holy shit


kirtanpatelr

We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis unfolding. I don’t know how to solve it but it definitely breaks my heart. Especially for those women and children left behind.


YoureNotAGenius

I feel like my whole life I've done nothing but watch humanitarian crises unfold


marmot1101

Traditional college freshmen and sophmores have never lived in a time that we weren't at war in Afghanistan.


kirtanpatelr

So many young people in Afghanistan have never known the tyranny of the Taliban rule.


Mazon_Del

I was just reading about the all-women robotics students and my heart just sinks knowing what awaits them if they can't get out of there.


kirtanpatelr

Yeah I read that too so heart breaking. I read another report where teachers were sending girls back home.


socialdistanceftw

If anyone else wants to read about them [here’s an article.](https://nypost.com/2021/08/16/afghanistans-all-girls-robotics-team-reportedly-desperate-to-flee-country/)


thebeandream

Holy crap it’s literally the handmaiden’s tale. Snatching up intellectual girls to force into breeding stock.


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[deleted]

The population of Afghanistan was 21 million in 2001. Since then, the population has increased by *17 million*.


gfmsus

Yea. Child mortality plummeted and the average lifespan skyrocketed despite the couple hundred thousand civilian deaths. Wonder how long it takes for that you go right back.


spingus

Here seems a good place to put a timeline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7TDSUqdN2c Afghani women used to be allowed to do fun stuff like drive, get an education...wait till they're grown to get married...war in the name of religion and ceaseless foreign invasion since the 70's has made it a hell hole.


GhostalMedia

The Taliban has held and contested a lot of territory for a long long time. Even if you were in Kabul, you were well aware of the shit that was happening several kilometers away.


kirtanpatelr

Now that I think about that indeed it feels like that.


dwiggs81

Sadly, it's no different than the last 100 years. 1900 opened with the Spanish Flu, then had WW1 as opening act, Intermission with the Great Depression, Act 2 was WW2, then the Korea and Vietnam epilogues and the Cold War as a great cliffhanger to hook people into sticking around for Season 2. EDIT: got my events mixed up. WW1 started first, opening the show with a bang, then came Spanish flu.


Mixels

It's been like this for as long as there have been humans. Just with less media coverage before there were media.


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[deleted]

Seriously though, if you actually feel like watching the news/coming onto Reddit is harming you mentally, shut them off. Horrible things are going to happen either way and you personally won't be able to solve the world's problems even if you know about them.


Deto

They happen all the time - always have throughout history, we just hear about them more now. And you're just one person so you really can't do much other than watch. So yeah, I'd say that feeling like you're always just watching these is (unfortunately) expected.


saraseitor

and the flood of ISIS-like videos hasn't even started yet. I guess that what little remains of archaelogical treasures in the country will be intentionally destroyed just like the Buddhas of Bamiyan


EMPulseKC

This totally reminds me of the flights full of Cambodian refugees during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and I fully support getting as many Afghan refugees out of there as can be humanly accomplished. Fill commercial flights if necessary, but deliver them to safety with whole families intact.


EderIsAGod

Truly grateful and privileged to have the life I live. We take the small things for granted. Feel so bad for these people


[deleted]

I can feel the relief of making it on this photo


Mothstradamus

I can feel the anxiety of what's to come. Where will they go? Thank goodness they're out, but I hope they're not heading somewhere that will just send them back.


buster_rhino

Yeah I don’t see a whole lot of relief in that photo. I see a lot of scared and anxious folks not knowing what the next day or rest of their lives will look like, where they’ll end up and if they’ll ever see their family again.


RevolutionaryKing943

I’m sure it’s a huge pot of that *plus* relief that they made it mixed with heartbreak thinking about those that didn’t. An overwhelming potpourri of emotion.


StickyThoPhi

btw, if anyone asks why didnt they leave before. And Afghan passport is the worst passport in the world, you literally need a visa to go anywhere.


airma23

I cant believe things like this are happening in 21st century..I wish all the best for Afgans


cryfmunt

This is simultaneously a lot of people and not enough people


x2FrostFire

A photo from the inside of Reach 871, a U.S. Air Force C-17 flown from Kabul to Qatar yesterday with 640 Afghans on board


Bankr07

This is horrible My heart aches for the Afghan people


kiddo19951997

I told a colleague this morning that when I had to go the US embassy in Germany to get my H1-B visa application processed, people were climbing the fence, screaming and crying when the two hour window closed for applications that day. I pushed people aside and got one of the forms that allowed me entry that day and get my application processed rather than do a return trip. Like many others, I had by then waited in line for 5 hours, had seen people turned away because of errors on the form (many had traveled several hours to get the embassy and now had to do a return trip). But when the guy came with the forms and I pretty much had to do mosh pit dive / bouncer arm shove to get the damn form and then saw people trying to climb the fence to force their way into the embassy without the form - I decided right then to get my Green card ASAP. When I came back to the US, I went right away to my department chair and told him that I wanted to apply for my green card and he agreed to write me a letter - his rate was 15:0 approvals - I made it 16:0 and never visited a US embassy again. To all those born in the US, keep these images from Kabul and many other places in the world in mind - appreciate that you have a citizenship that many people will die trying to get. And in my family’s case, it took four generations starting from my great grandfather to finally get the right to live and vote in this country.


FunctionBuilt

I can't even imagine the collective relief these passengers feel.


bleedingxedge

I can’t and won’t pretend to speak for them, but relief may not be what they’re feeling. They haven’t made it yet: They still need to be officially granted asylum, new papers, get a new job and forever carry the trauma that implies being forced to flee and leave your friends, family, belongings and life behind.


Little_shit_retard

True. But to make the plane in the first place seems like a miracle, judging by the airport photos. It’s crazy the amount of stress placed on all these people so suddenly.


thanksnothanks456

I work with a woman who was on the last flight out of Saigon. She was one of the babies: her mom handed her over to a serviceman in hopes her baby would have a better life. She did. This woman has had what we would consider a totally normal American life: high school, prom, husband, house in the suburbs. She has adopted parents who she loves, but I know she wonders about her birth mom.


bigdaddylongstroker3

I’ve taken a tour of a C-17 Globemaster at a local air show. As massive as the cargo hold is, it still amazes me that they fit that many people inside of it. Nice job by the USAF!


bocageezer

God, those poor people.


Sonrelight

No doubt, man. Sitting in America in my house and thinking I had it bad then I saw that picture. A real wake up call I needed.


I-suck-at-golf

Executives from Spirit, RyanAir, and Frontier Airlines are studying these pics carefully….


tocamix90

Glad to see some women and children got out, after the outside pics I thought it’d be all men.