Flight of Afghan interpreters and their families lands in Washington
July 31, 2021, 6:01 am

Flight of Afghan interpreters and their families lands in Washington

AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT-US-INTERPRETERS

According to The Media Line, the Associated Press reported citing an internal US government document and a commercial flight tracking service that a flight carrying Afghan interpreters and their families has landed at Dulles International Airport in Washington early Friday morning.

It said, the flight contained 221 Afghans, including 57 children and 15 babies, according to the document, the AP reported.

The first 750 interpreters and some 1,750 family members who have been approved and cleared security were expected to be flown out of Kabul this week and brought to Ft. Lee, Virginia, before being resettled in the United States under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process.

Citing the BBC, The Media Line reported that there are 20,000 applicants in various stages of the SIV process.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday that “out of just extreme caution, as you can imagine, … and consideration for their safety and security and privacy of the Afghan special immigrants and their families, we’re not going to discuss or confirm any details of flights at this time.”

The Taliban has said that the interpreters for foreign forces will not be harmed after US troops and their allies withdraw by the end of next month.

Source: themedialine
Image source: AFP via Getty Images-themedialine

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”