Brit dad trapped in Afghanistan after 4,000-mile dash to save wife and four kids caught up in Kabul blast
A BRIT dad who travelled to Afghanistan on a rescue mission to save his family from the Taliban is still trapped in the country.
And dad-of-four Sidiq Marofahail – who made the 4,000-mile dash to take his family back to the UK - has made a desperate plea for help saying his family is terrified of Taliban reprisals.
Sidiq, from Bolton, Lancs, arrived in Kabul just hours before a terrorist bomb exploded at the airport killing at least 90 people.
Two of Sidiq’s children - daughter Asia, six, and son Tawid, three - were pictured on The Sun's front page clutching their British passports at the gates of the airport and Sidiq feared they had been killed in the blast.
But we later revealed they were alive and had been reunited with their dad.
Now Sidiq has pleaded with the British government to help get his family to safety.
The pizza shop worker is currently in hiding at a secret location and he hopes he can plot an escape route soon.
Sidiq, 29, who is with his Afghan wife Sultan Zari and their two other children, Aliya, one, and Mustafa, four months, told The Sun: “My family is terrified every day. They are scared the Taliban will come for us.
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"We are hiding and I hope to be able to escape, I just don’t know how I will do that.
"We need help from the British government but I just don’t know who to speak with.
"I came to Afghanistan with £1,000 which I had saved up in the UK but I only have 400 left to support my family, but it won't last forever.
"Please I hope someone can help us, I want to take my family to England to be safe and start a new life."
Sidiq emigrated to Britain in 2006 and works at a pizza takeaway in Horwich, Lancs.
He said he moved from his home in Jalalabad to make a better life and sent money back to his wife.
But when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan he knew his family were in immediate danger and decided to act.
He said: "When the Taliban took over I was very scared for my family. It is not safe so I decided to try to get them home to the UK.
"I got in through Uzbekistan and came to Kabul."
Sidiq arrived in the city on August 26 just hours before a bomb wreaked havoc at Kabul airport as civilians sought escape flights from the Taliban-controlled nation.
At least 95 people were killed and 150 others wounded.
Thirteen US service personnel were among those killed.
We are hiding and I hope to be able to escape, I just don’t know how I will do that.
Sidiq Marofahail
Sidiq added: "I just hope I can still get my family out of Afghanistan soon and take them to England, but it becomes harder and harder each day."
The Foreign Office says they are in contact with Sidiq and are offering consular support.
The Foreign Secretary travelled to Qatar and Pakistan earlier this month to discuss how to keep vital evacuation routes open.
Since then 34 British Nationals have been carried to safety on two flights to Doha facilitated by the Qatari authorities.
So far the UK has evacuated over 15,000 people, including almost 7,000 British nationals and their families.
The UK and G7 partners have been clear that the Taliban must allow safe passage for those who want to leave.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK’s evacuation operation helped over 15,000 people to safety including British nationals, Afghan interpreters, and other vulnerable people.
"Whilst the success of that operation exceeded our assumptions, we know that there are many left in difficult circumstances.
“The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available.”
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The Home Office added that while the security situation remains extremely volatile, it recommends people in Afghanistan do not make visa applications at this time as they will not be considered until biometrics are provided and that is not currently possible in Afghanistan.
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