Afghanistan: Infant reunited with family after he went missing during chaotic evacuation

An infant, who went missing after he was handed to a soldier over an airport wall amidst the chaos of US evacuation following the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan in August, has been found and reunited with his family. According to Sky News, the parents, Mirza Ali Ahmadi and his wife Suraya handed over their baby, Sohail Ahmadi to a US soldier on 19 August fearing that the infant would be crushed in the crowds as people tried to leave Afghanistan after the extremists claimed control of the war-ravaged country.

Reportedly, it took them over half an hour to get to the other side of the airport fence after passing their child over the wall of the airport with barbed wire. However, when they did finally reach, their two-month-old son was nowhere to be found. Both Mirza and Suraya spent days searching for Sohail but were told that their baby might have been evacuated.

The report stated that Mirza worked as a security guard at the United States embassy in Afghanistan and he was put on an evacuation flight to Qatar with his wife, and four other children eventually landed in the United States. According to Sky News, in November, Sohail was finally located in Kabul, in the care of a 29-year-old taxi driver named Hamid Safi who had found the baby at the airport and took home to raise as his own.

Reportedly, it took over seven weeks of negotiations and pleas and even intervention of Taliban police, who detained Safi, to get the man to give Sohail back to his grandmother and other relatives who were still in Kabul. The media outlet stated that the infant’s family are now trying to reunite him with his parents and siblings in the United States. Safi said that he found Sohail alone and crying on the ground at the airport in Afghanistan on the same day the baby was separated from his parents.

As per the report, Safi also said that he was unable to find Sohail’s family and then decided to take the baby to his home. Safi has three daughters but reportedly said that his mother’s biggest wish before dying was for him to have a son. Sky News stated that in November, Safi said he decided, “I am keeping this baby. If his family is found, I will give him to them. If not, I will raise him myself.”

Sohail’s family visited Safi and brought gifts

Shortly after the story of the missing child was published, Safi’s neighbours recognised him and posted comments about his whereabouts on a translated version of the article. As per the report, Sohail’s grandfather, Mohammad Qasem Razawi said that he visited Safi and even brought gifts including slaughtered sheep and clothing, asking to get the child back. However, Mohammed said that Safi refused.

Eventually, the baby’s family contacted Taliban police and reported a kidnapping. Because Safi denied kidnapping Sohail, the complaint was dismissed, as per Sky News. The local police commander held to arrange a settlement with Mohammed agreeing to pay Safi around 100,000 Afghani or £700 for the cost of looking after the bay for five months.

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