Currently there is an international effort underway to rescue the Girls, aged 12-14, their families, and football federation staff.
With the end of the US evacuation, and Australia cancelling repatriation flights in the wake of the attack on Kabul Airport, the chances of the team making it out of the country are low.
The women’s national team was evacuated to Australia last week, before the terrorist attack at Kabul Airport.
Complicating the rescue effort is the large size of the group, which includes 136 people.
The team is currently moving from place to place in an attempt to evade the Taliban, according to a report by AP News.
Robert McCreary, a former White house official under George Bush and special forces soldier who worked in Afghanistan, told AP News if the Taliban eased the exit for the girls it would create international goodwill.
“Here they’re in a very bad situation for doing nothing more than playing soccer,” he said.
“We need to do everything that we can to protect them, to get them to a safe situation.”
Australia, France and Qatar have expressed support for the mission – called Operation Soccer Balls -to bring the team to the United States.
Farkhunda Muhtaj, captain of the Afghanistan women’s national team, said the girls were “footsteps from freedom”.
“They are devastated. They’re hopeless, considering the situation they’re in,” she said.
There has been 5 failed attempts to rescue the girls in recent times, and they were close to freedom before the Kabul Airport bombing.
The United States completed its evacuation minutes before the deadline agreed with the Taliban, and Australia has cancelled any further flights for citizens and refugees after the deadly Kabul Airport bombing.
The window to complete the mission is shrinking, and each day makes it less likely. After 5 failed attempts, it will take a massive international effort to get the girls to safety.
By Parker McKenzie
