‘I never thought I would be forced to leave Afghanistan’

Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary has covered events in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, from the US-led invasion to the fall of Kabul to Taliban militants earlier this month.

He told BBC World News how repeated visits from the Taliban to his office had caused him and his family to go into hiding and then leave the country.

“This is a city that I call home. This is the city that I love. And I knew it inch by inch,” Mr Sarwary said. But suddenly, “nowhere was safe”.

The media had been one of the country's greatest achievements over the past 20 years, he said. And seeing it crumble broke his heart.

More than 80,000 people have been flown out of Kabul and more than 10,000 are waiting at the airport.