Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris sparked a wave of reactions after proposing that his country host a number of Afghan refugees following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Sawiris wrote on his Twitter account on Friday: "Suggestion: Could we host some Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule in Egypt? A question for everyone except the Brothers of Egypt!" Reactions from followers varied, with some welcoming the idea of Afghan refugees coming to Egypt, while others rejected it. Meanwhile, some called for avoiding hate speech against refugees.
Previously, sources told CNN on Friday that the U.S. government is considering new locations, including Europe, to transfer Afghans as it approaches its capacity in Qatar. Qatari Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah Alkhater reaffirmed that her country will continue to participate in evacuation operations from Afghanistan, as she stated on her Twitter account.
In the meantime, the UAE Foreign Ministry, in a statement sent to CNN, announced that the UAE will temporarily host 5,000 Afghan nationals at the request of the U.S. government. Earlier, CNN's Clarissa Ward in Kabul reported that no flights had left the Afghan capital for at least eight hours on Friday. Soldiers near the Hamid Karzai International Airport informed CNN reporters that there are 10,000 people ready to leave but cannot do so because there is nowhere for them to fly, as Qatar has refused to accept more Afghans due to reaching its capacity.
Other countries, including Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Uganda, have also offered to temporarily host Afghan refugees.
