In the past one week, the U.S. has evacuated about 17,000 people, including 2,500 Americans, out of Kabul, according to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor.
The situation in Kabul is tensed, to say the least, and several people, including Afghans, have been fleeing before the Taliban completely changes life as they know it. One such woman—who was heavily pregnant at the time—was evacuating aboard a U.S. Air Force plane on August 21, 2021, to an aeromedical staging squadron at a base in the Middle East before moving on to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, when she went into labor, reports PEOPLE.
The unnamed woman boarded the C-17 cargo plane with her husband and their other young child, and they had completed the first leg of the flight as they arrived in the Middle East. In a Twitter thread, the US Air Mobility Command said the woman went into labor during the second leg of her journey after the flight took off from the Middle East to Germany.
During a flight from an Intermediate Staging Base in the Middle East, the mother went into labor and began having complications. The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother’s life.
— Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) August 21, 2021
According to CNN, the woman began to experience complications because of the flight's altitude which caused lower air pressure in the plane. She experienced heavy contractions which progressed into high labor and her blood pressure dropped dangerously low, as the plane approached their final destination.
Immediately, the aircraft's commander decided to lower the flight's altitude, thus increasing the cabin pressure, which managed to "stabilize and help save the mother's life," according to a U.S. Air Force rep.
"During a flight from an Intermediate Staging Base in the Middle East, the mother went into labor and began having complications. The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother’s life," read the tweet.
The woman was just minutes away from becoming a mother for the second time. As soon as the plane touched down, airmen from the 86th Medical Group came aboard, created a makeshift labor room, and helped deliver the child in the C-17’s cargo bay, states Fox News.
Upon landing, Airmen from the 86th MDG came aboard and delivered the child in the cargo bay of the aircraft. The baby girl and mother were transported to a nearby medical facility and are in good condition.
— Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) August 21, 2021
"The baby girl and mother were transported to a nearby medical facility and are in good condition," an Air Mobility Command rep said.
Medical support personnel from the 86th Medical Group help an Afghan mother and family off a U.S. Air Force C-17, call sign Reach 828, moments after she delivered a child aboard the aircraft upon landing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 21. (cont..) pic.twitter.com/wqR9dFlW1o
— Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) August 21, 2021
Not everyone has been lucky enough to flee the country, and an Afghan man — who has chosen to remain anonymous — said that there is a sense of fear and terror all over. "We are afraid to go outside now. Everyone is scared and hiding. Unless you are with the Taliban, it is not safe inside Afghanistan," the man said.
"I myself, and people in my family, we worked with the Afghan government. We were government workers. Now we are unemployed. I have no income. I have to live off of what money I already have," he continued. "Our family wants to go to America. We thought we had more time."
In Afghanistan, a young child made it on to a US Air Force evacuation flight.
— Goodable (@Goodable) August 20, 2021
The floor was metal and cold.
When a crew member saw the child, they took off their own uniform so the child could sleep comfortably.
Goodness can be anywhere.
💔 🇦🇫 ♥️ pic.twitter.com/nqx0LRbXJc
However, in the past one week, the U.S. has evacuated about 17,000 people, including 2,500 Americans, out of Kabul, according to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor, Reuters reported.
References:
https://people.com/politics/afghan-baby-born-aboard-us-air-force-plane-fleeing-taliban-kabul/
https://twitter.com/AirMobilityCmd/status/1429221890535591940
https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-air-force-pregnant-afghan-mother-deliver-baby-c-17-evacuation
Cover Image Source: Twitter | Air Mobility Command
