Out of Afghanistan

Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. Now, they team up for a new podcast to share their experiences from the frontline.    

They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events.  

From conflict in the Middle East, to the US election, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise.

New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday, starting October 9th.

Having been introduced to a new city and culture, how easy is it to establish yourself and make new friends? We hear from Ali who, along with his wife and son, were among the first Afghans to settle in Peterhead. Arriving in the most eastern part of the Scottish mainland, to storms and power cuts, will his mantra to ‘turn challenges into opportunities’ be enough to help them stay in the town? From processing paperwork to understanding accents, we hear how even the highly skilled arrivals have to adjust to a new system and establish themselves again. Who is best placed to adapt? And who and what helps new arrivals adjust? Meanwhile Malalai and her parents have made some new friends.

Presenter - Stuart Ramsay
Producers - Anne-Marie Bullock with Dominque van Heerden
Digital production - David Chipakupaku
Sound design - Will Chalk
Editor - Paul Stanworth

From first sight of the UK, to quarantine and being taken to a new city…families placed in Bristol share their experiences of starting from scratch in a new country and new city.
Yusef, Sherbano, Malalai and Afzal speak about the level of support they have. We also hear from members of Bristol city council about learning hundreds of refugees would be arriving in hotels and how they’ve tried to find accommodation for them. From new babies, new jobs and new skills the refugees share how they’re helping each other find their feet and move forwards, but their minds are still with family left back in Afghanistan.

Presenter - Stuart Ramsay
Reporter – Lisa Holland
Producers - Anne-Marie Bullock with Dominque van Heerden
Digital production - David Chipakupaku
Sound design - Will Chalk
Editor - Paul Stanworth

First-hand accounts from two families who were caught up in the chaos of Kabul airport as they had to flee Afghanistan. Yusef had travelled to the UK in advance and was in quarantine when the Taliban seized control of the capital. His wife Sherbano was in shock when she saw them seize the police station and she was forced to leave their home and take their daughter Malalai and teenage nephew to the airport. Reports of crowd surges and deaths had already spread and she was terrified of what lay ahead. Nine-year-old Malalai also shares how they struggled to get through and saw Western military and Taliban forces face to face at the airport.
Afzal had not believed NATO forces would really withdraw from Afghanistan and was trying to get his passport on the day the capital was seized. His family were separated in the airport grounds and he shares his desperate struggle to unite with his pregnant wife and three children in the crowds and get them onto a flight before the deadline passed.

Presenter - Stuart Ramsay
Producer - Anne-Marie Bullock with Dominque van Heerden
Digital production - David Chipakupaku
Sound design - Will Chalk
Editor - Paul Stanworth

Following the emergency evacuations of thousands of people from Kabul after it fell to the Taliban, what happened to the people once those planes landed in the UK?

‘Out of Afghanistan’ shares the first person accounts of those who were caught up in the fall of Kabul, forced to flee their homes and start new lives with little more than hand luggage.

Sky News has followed families over the course of several months from living in hotels and trying to find their bearings as well as jobs, homes and friends.

Presented by Stuart Ramsay, Sky News’ Chief Correspondent, who reported on the emergency evacuations in 2021 and has reported on Afghanistan for more than 20 years.