WASHINGTON — The Biden administration halted flights carrying Afghan evacuees to the United States from military bases overseas after discovering a few of the new arrivals had measles, the latest hurdle in a haphazard effort to assist allies hoping to flee the Taliban. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that the evacuation flights be temporarily suspended “out of an abundance of caution” after four Afghans were found to have measles after arriving in the United States, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said on Friday. As of Wednesday, the administration had evacuated more than 60,000 people from Afghanistan since Aug. 17, according to the Department of Homeland Security, most of them Afghans seeking sanctuary in the United States. The suspension follows a chaotic evacuation that has left American citizens and thousands of Afghans in limbo after the U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban seized Kabul, sealing their control of the country. Thousands of Afghans hoping to reach the United States are waiting at military bases in other countries, including a site in Doha, Qatar, where diplomats and military officials have reported worsening conditions and some health issues among evacuees.

Source: International New York Times September 11, 2021 00:22 UTC