Compared to the fall of Saigon in April 1975, hundreds of Afghan citizens are scrambling to board a plane at Kabul's international airport following the Taliban's victory over the city.
A 24-second clip uploaded to Twitter on Sunday revealed the desperate situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport as desperate Afghans attempted to flee the country.
In the video, which is now being viewed by more than 3 million people online, Afghans climb stairs on an air bridge as they are pushed deeper into Kabul by the Taliban. As a crowd climbed the stairs near the plane, several people were seen hanging from them.
BBC South Asia Burex Chief Nicola Karim posted the clip, writing: "This is, perhaps, one of the saddest images I have seen from #Afghanistan. A people desperate and abandoned. No aid agencies, no UN No, no government. Nothing."
Indian journalist Sudhir Choudhary, editor-in-chief of Zee News, also posted the clip, writing: "People are on their own while the world watches in silence. Only sensible advice to the Afghan people... Run"
This is, perhaps, one of the saddest images I've seen from #Afghanistan. A people who are desperate and abandoned. No aid agencies, no UN, no government. Nothing. pic.twitter.com/LCeDEOR3lR
— Nicola Careem (@NicolaCareem) August 16, 2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pushed back earlier than ever with the Saigon evacuation. "This is clearly not Saigon," he announced on Sunday.
But comparisons were inevitable to the fall of Saigon, when desperate South Vietnamese civilians were depicted trying to scramble the walls of the US embassy to escape the advancing north.
A photo from that period showed a CIA officer helping a CIA officer board an Air America helicopter into the city now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. On Sunday, photographs again showed US helicopters being deployed to operate rapid shuttle flights to evacuate the embassy.
Director of Mobi Media Group, the largest media company in Afghanistan and headquartered in Kabul, Saad Mohseni called the Kabul airport scenes "Saigon on steroids".
He wrote, "Chaos continues at Kabul airport. People slept on plane all night, seats were torn etc." "We're still seeing thousands of people on the tarmac. No one can fly. Where are the Americans (who promised protection)?? It's Saigon on steroids."
Chaotic scenes continue at Kabul Airport. Overnight people slept on the plane, ripped seats off etc etc. We are still seeing thousands of people on the tarmac. No flights can take off. Where the hell are the Americans (who had promised security)?? This is Saigon on steroids pic.twitter.com/XzMwM8ENxX
— Saad Mohseni (@saadmohseni) August 16, 2021
His statements were echoed by retired US Army Sergeant Samuel Williams, an Afghanistan veteran, who also called on President Joe Biden to step down.
"Saigon looks worse than 1975! #BidenMustResign," Williams tweeted.
Looks worse the Saigon 1975! #BidenMustResign https://t.co/I93cNzuHwy
— Samuel Williams (@votesamuelwill1) August 16, 2021
Emmanuel Gonzalez, a Democrat, former Congressional candidate for California, said: "Watched the video of Kabul International Airport and it's our generation's own version of Saigon. How sad."
The disaster in Afghanistan came five weeks after President Joe Biden relied on the country's military to counter the Taliban insurgency.
But, on Sunday, the Taliban entered the capital of Kabul and, according to the Associated Press, will soon announce the renaming of the country from the presidential palace to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Their relentless progress came soon after the US and its allies withdrew most of their combat forces last month.
The call for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was made by former President Donald Trump, but later by President Biden.
President Biden appeared firm with his decision to withdraw troops from the country and said in a statement published on the White House website on Saturday: "I was the fourth president to preside over a US military presence in Afghanistan - two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not bring or pass this war to fifth place."
The next day, it emerged that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country.
Afghanistan now faces an uncertain future as many international observers worry that the country could once again become a breeding ground for terrorists. In response to the concerns, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Twitter on Sunday: The President should be commended for the clarity of purpose of his statement on Afghanistan and its action. The Taliban should know that the world is watching their movements. We are all concerned about the reports about the brutal treatment of Taliban to Afghans, especially women and girls.
“The United States, the international community, and the Afghan government must do everything possible to protect women and girls from the inhuman treatment of women and girls by the Taliban. As we try to help them, we must recognize that their voices matter and that their culture is important. respect it."