A former UK Royal Marine who waged a high-profile campaign to leave Afghanistan with almost 200 rescued dogs and cats has flown to safety — with the animals, but without his charity’s Afghan staff, who were left behind in Kabul.
A privately funded chartered plane carrying Paul “Pen” Farthing and his animals took off from Kabul late Saturday after a saga that gripped and divided Britain, raising difficult questions about the relative value placed on human and animal lives.
Animal welfare campaigner Dominic Dyer, who has acted as a UK-based spokesman for Farthing, said the plane was due to land at London’s Heathrow Airport on Sunday.
Farthing, who started the Nowzad charity after serving with British forces in Afghanistan 15 years ago, was eligible for evacuation in Britain’s military airlift along with Afghan members of his staff and their dependents. But he refused to leave without the animals.
For days, Farthing used social media and press interviews to chronicle his attempts to depart with his four-legged companions amid the chaotic exodus from Kabul airport, as his supporters lobbied the British government for help with a rescue effort dubbed Operation Ark.
Farthing gained backing from celebrities including comedian Ricky Gervais, and many offers to adopt the rescued animals. But he also drew criticism from those who said the case was draining time and energy from the task of rescuing Afghans at risk from the country’s new Taliban rulers.
Britain says it evacuated more than 15,000 UK citizens and vulnerable Afghans in a two-week airlift that ended Saturday. But officials say as many as 1,100 Afghans who were entitled to come to the UK have been left behind. Some British lawmakers who have been trying to help stranded constituents and their families believe the true total is higher.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
We are relieved to confirm that Pen and the Nowzad animals left Afghanistan this afternoon and are now safe.
However, we still have much to do as our wonderful team in Kabul were not allowed through the final barrier. It was a devastating blow to us. We are now working extremely hard to get them evacuated and will not rest until they too are safe.
Our thoughts for now are with our staff and the many people and animals who have also been left behind. We will do our utmost to help them.
The last few days have been extremely difficult and hazardous for Pen and the Nowzad team and we very much appreciate your patience and messages of support as we have strived to get them to safety. We know that Pen will update you as soon as he is able.
For now, thank you so much for the incredible support you have shown the whole Nowzad team. It has given our staff the strength to cope with this desperate situation.
source nzherald.co.nz
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