A Delaware County man is concerned for his family members in Afghanistan who are in hiding and trying to escape, even as the last elements of the U.S. military pulled out, writes Jaclyn Lee and the 6abc digital staff for 6abc.com. 

“I’m in contact with them, and they’re very scared,” said Sayed Kalimullah Barialai Aqeli. “So my brothers and my sisters, they worked for the Afghan government and different organizations.”

Aqueli was a radio journalist. He was a translator for the United States and NATO forces from 2003 to 2013. 

The Taliban tried to execute him. 

“Every night, I was just awake in the middle of the night, scared that someone was coming and would knock on the door,” Aqeli said.

Aqeli, his wife, and his three children escaped Afghanistan to Germany in 2013.

It was 10 years before the U.S. approved his visa in 2020.

He said the Afghans, particularly the younger generation, had great hope for the future.

“There were universities.  Students who were studying had jobs. Now everything is gone,” he said.

He hopes the U.S. government remembers the sacrifices made and helps the people of Afghanistan.

“If I lose a member of my family, then I will not forgive the U.S. government.”

Read more at 6abc.com about the plight of one Delaware County man’s family in Afghanistan.

This video takes a look at the last hours of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.