Upon hearing about the situation in Afghanistan, friends from different parts of the world offered to help me and my family escape. I eventually received an evacuation letter from Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but going there was a challenge on its own. We would have to go through multiple checkpoints just to get to the airport, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. My mom and siblings had arrived in Kabul by then, while my dad and brother drove to the city from Ghazni the day after I received the evacuation letter. We rented a car and headed to the airport at 3:30 that afternoon. With the internet unavailable near the airport gates and checkpoints all over the city, we didn’t know how to get to our destination.“Home is somewhere you escape to, not escape from, but I knew then that I had no choice but to leave mine.”
My father sustained bruises after he was beaten by the Taliban. Photo: Sheren Adel
These containers were the Taliban’s last checkpoint. Photo: Sheren Adel
Foreign soldiers distributing water beyond the Taliban checkpoints. Photo: Sheren Adel
Inside the Spanish military plane, traveling from Kabul to Dubai. Photo: Sheren Adel
The refugee camp in Spain. Photo: Sheren Adel
The dining area at the refugee camp in Spain. Photo: Sheren Adel
Families wait in the refugee camp for a bus that will take them to their new homes in different parts of Spain. Photo: Sheren Adel