Daughter pleads with UK government to get disabled mum stuck in Afghanistan back home

'I just feel really guilty that I’m here in safety and my mum who is disabled, she’s sick, she’s on her own going through this. She doesn’t deserve this,' says Fereba Hafizi

The family of an elderly British woman stranded in Afghanistan say they are desperate to get her back home and are pleading with Boris Johnson's government to keep its promise to help.

Layloma Hafizi flew out from the UK to Afghanistan at the beginning of July for a funeral accompanied by her son. Her son later flew to India due to personal matters, leaving his mother on her own in the country, which at the time still looked secure.

Once the family were aware the Taliban were rapidly taking over Afghanistan, they tried to book Mrs Hafizi flights back to the UK. But flight after flight was cancelled, with Mrs Hafizi's third scheduled flight for Tuesday morning also being cancelled.

Daughter Fereba Hafizi, who lives in Coventry, explained all flight agencies have shut down and there are no commercial flights available to book. And despite the UK government promising to evacuate all British nationals, she said so far this has only applied to Brits who are in Kabul for work.

'(My mother is) a very strong and tough woman who has gone through a lot of things, so she’s normally very on top of it but for the first time, she’s very frightened and scared'

She said: "My mother is very strong. She’s a very strong and tough woman who has gone through a lot of things, so she’s normally very on top of it but for the first time, she’s very frightened and scared.

"And to sense that sense of fright and worry in her voice, it’s got us all shattered, it’s got us broken down.

"We’re more worried about her now, because not only that she’s going through depression, this is all taking a toll on her and knowing she’s low on medication that’s putting extra strain on her and us worrying what could happen once her medication's all out."

Mrs Hafizi is a stroke patient with a multitude of health conditions, including arthritis in both knees and diabetes. She is unable to walk without walking frames or without a wheelchair for long distances.

As well as worries about the risk to her life when her medication runs out, her family are concerned that Mrs Hafizi may not be able to board a flight due to the suspension of wheelchair services at Kabul Airport.

Ms Hafizi broke down in tears as she told ITV News how she felt responsible for her mum's situation.

She said: "As my mum's caretaker, I feel very much responsible for her safety and the fact I haven’t been able to accompany her, I haven't been able to travel with her, I feel a sense of guilt.

"I feel, in a way, it’s my fault for leaving her. I just feel really guilty that I’m here in safety and my mum who is disabled, she’s sick, she’s on her own going through this.

"She doesn’t deserve this."

'Even if the flight is £10,000 we are willing to pay the prices to get her out,' Ms Hafizi says her family are desperate to get her mother out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

The family are doing whatever it takes to get Mrs Hafizi out of the country. Her daughter said she is currently not working because so much energy and time is dedicated to getting her mother back home.

She said: "We’ve been keeping an eye on the different airlines here and in Afghanistan. My cousin is doing everything he can possibly do to see as soon as airline offices/agencies are opening so they can get hold of a ticket.

"Even if a flight is £10,000, we are willing to pay the prices to get her out.

"It’s not about the money, it’s not about quarantining anymore. This is about the safety of a disabled woman who we are trying to get out the country."

Although Mrs Hafizi was said to be "hopeful" that the British Embassy will help her home, the rest of her family are "not very hopeful", Ms Hafizi said.

She said: "Unfortunately I feel very very disappointed by the government.

"I think they’re not doing enough because there’s opportunity to send more troops to secure the airport.

"We’re not asking them to send troops to fight for Afghanistan, we’re asking them to secure the airport, keep the passengers safe and secure and providethem planes to return back home.

"We’re not asking for a free ride, we’re not pleading or begging for charity, we’re just asking them to follow up on their commitment to provide them a plane and to keep them at safety, return them home."

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has said it is aware of Mrs Hafizi's plight and is "offering consular assistance".

They continued: "We are working hard to contact the British nationals we know of who remain in Afghanistan, to help them leave the country.”

The Taliban, an Islamic militant group, ruled Afghanistan until 2001, after the US and its allies (including the UK) invaded the country for harbouring Al-Qaeda training camps in the wake of 9/11.

But the situation began to get worse in April 2021 when President Joe Biden announced the final withdrawal of US troops from the country.

The insurgents have been rapidly seizing Afghanistan territory in the last week and a half, with the nation's capital Kabul captured on Sunday.

The UK government is focusing on evacuating British nationals and Afghan allies before the Taliban's grip on the country tightens further. British armed forces are aiming to get around 6,000 people out of Afghanistan via Kabul.

A resettlement scheme for Afghans looking to flee is also set to be announced by PM Boris Johnson "shortly".

There are huge concerns about human right's abuses in the country, with humanitarian groups saying women and girls are likely to suffer most.