How The New York Times Pulled Off The Historic Evacuation of 124 Afghans
- Posted on September 8, 2026
- By Vanity Fair
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
In 2021, the New York Times launched an unprecedented humanitarian mission to evacuate 124 Afghan staff members and their families from Kabul during the Taliban takeover. This exclusive account from a former deputy managing editor reveals the behind-the-scenes coordination and courage required to orchestrate one of America's largest private refugee sponsorships. The operation highlights journalism's commitment to protecting those who risked everything supporting international reporting.
Summary auto-generated by AI from the original publisher's content. Editorial standards.
How The New York Times Pulled Off The Historic Evacuation of 124 Afghans
Five years ago, the world watched as Kabul fell. Now, in an exclusive excerpt from The Last Free Women, a former deputy managing editor at the Times gives a gripping recount of how she and her colleagues raced to get their Afghan team and their families on a plane out of Afghanistan. When they landed in the US, they became one of the largest privately sponsored groups in modern American history.
