A U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, has become a temporary site for Afghan children separated from their families during the tumultuous Kabul evacuations last month, while State Department officials highlight amenities such as toys and “bouncy castles” for unaccompanied minors.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to visit Ramstein on Wednesday to speak with children and staff at the Youth Pod at the base, where around two dozen children are housed in heated tents.
“He will see the bouncy castle, tent filled with donations and toys, and learn about all the services being provided to unaccompanied minors and vulnerable individuals here at Ramstein,” a State Department spokesman at Ramstein told Reuters.
CONFUSION AND CHAOS SURROUND CHARTER PLANES TRAPPED IN AFGHANISTAN
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, reported it registered nearly 300 separated and unaccompanied children linked to the more than 120,000 evacuations from Afghanistan, with some finding their way to countries such as Germany or Qatar.
“Some cases can be solved very quickly, if the parents got on to a different plane or are already at Ramstein or in the United States, for example,” a U.S. State Department official said, adding cellphones were a help.
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Speaking at Doha Embassy in Qatar on Tuesday, Blinken thanked everyone involved in organizing and facilitating the temporary housing of thousands of migrants throughout the entirety of the evacuation efforts from Kabul, which has been described by President Joe Biden as one of the largest airlifts in history.
“You found a way to bring some levity and joy to the children involved in this evacuation — bouncy castles, organizing games, screening movies. What a wonderful gift in this of all moments just to put a smile on a child’s face, and I thank you for that,” Blinken said on Tuesday.
