The head of the Foreign Office admitted the country has “lessons to learn” following the UK's chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan alongside other international forces last year.
The permanent under secretary, Sir Philip Barton, again expressed his regret that he did not return from leave as Kabul fell to the Taliban after a scathing report by MPs.
Afghan allies and British troops had been let down by “deep failures of leadership” as Sir Philip and former foreign secretary Dominic Raab both remained on holiday as the Taliban took control of the country, said the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.
“If I had my time again, I would have come back from my leave earlier. That is what I should have done,” Sir Philip said while speaking before the House of Lords International Relations Committee.
He said that the crisis surrounding the fall of the Afghan capital to the Taliban last August was “one of the most complex and challenging” the department had ever faced.
“We did manage to evacuate 15,000 people against an original planning assumption of six. That is more than any other country apart from the US. All of us wish we could have evacuated more people,” he said.
Sir Philip said that once the immediate crisis phase was over, he had put in place a “proper exercise” to establish what lessons could be learnt, which led to a series of changes within the department.
“We did embed those in the way in which we approached the invasion of Ukraine in February,” he said.
In its report published last month, the Foreign Affairs Committee said there had a “total absence of a plan” for Afghans who supported the British mission, despite knowing for 18 months that an evacuation may be necessary if the US were to withdraw its troops.
Sir Philip acknowledged the speed of the collapse of the western-backed Afghan government had come as a surprise, but insisted planning had been under way for a possible military airlift since the start of the year.
“No one, including the Taliban themselves, foresaw the speed at which that happened,” he said.
“Our main effort in the first half of last year was trying to avoid a Taliban takeover. In parallel, we did work up our contingency plans including … planning with the [Ministry of Defence] for a military evacuation.”
Earlier, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy flew to Afghanistan to highlight the worsening humanitarian “catastrophe”, as millions of people face starvation.
Mr Lammy and shadow international development minister Preet Gill, who is travelling with him, are thought to be the first UK politicians to visit the country since the return of the Taliban.
Labour said the trip was made possible by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and that there would not be any meetings with Taliban officials or representatives.
Mr Lammy said the scramble to leave last year had damaged the UK’s reputation and he called on the government to set out a “comprehensive strategy” to alleviate the ensuing humanitarian crisis.
“The government downgraded the UK’s international reputation and made the whole world less safe with its calamitous handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer,” he said.
“Today, millions of Afghanistan’s civilians are suffering from starvation, with some even forced to sell body parts to feed their families.
“The UK government’s woeful lack of leadership that was so visible last year is continuing as it ignores the humanitarian catastrophe.”
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
