CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport Thursday leaving 72 people dead, including 11 Marines and one medic.
A local family with loved ones still in Afghanistan say they have been monitoring the crisis closely.
For decades, Ali Tokhi and his wife Zarmina have brought Afghan culture to Massachusetts through their Cambridge restaurant, Helmand.
The couple grew up in Kandahar and with family still living there, they say the images coming out of their home country are devastating to watch.
“I get emotional when I think about it, talk about my country and people,” Zarmina said. “We see how much our people are in fear and they want to run for their life.”
Ali’s brother, sisters and father have all made it to Pakistan with the hopes of moving on to the U.S.
“The kids cannot sleep, they put their hands to their ears. So scary and they run,” he said.
Zarmina’s family has decided to stay but life has changed under the Taliban’s rule.
The Tokhis say they are worried the country is going back to how it used to be 20 years ago — before the United States intervened.
“I feel really just helpless,” their daughter Sadaf said.
Sadaf has only ever known US-occupied Afghanistan. She says she voted for President Biden but is disappointed in how he is handling the situation.
“Now with him saying that our country isn’t doing enough for ourselves, how can we do enough for ourselves when you know we’re dealing with a group that is just so dangerous,” she said.
In a message to the president, the family is asking him to help those still in danger.
“Do not leave them,” Zarmina said. “Do not turn their back on them. Do not leave them tortured there.”
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