Desperate times, desperate measures! A pregnant New Zealand journalist turned to the Taliban, of all the organisations, for help. The woman, who is a TV reporter from New Zealand, is currently stranded in Afghanistan after her home country prevented her from returning due to Covid quarantine rules.
In a column published by The New Zealand Herald, Charlotte Bellis emphasized upon the cruel ironies of time. She said it was, "brutally ironic" that she'd once question the Taliban about their outlook on women's rights and treatment of women. But now she was left questioning her own country and government.
"When the Taliban offers you — a pregnant, unmarried woman — safe haven, you know your situation is messed up," Bellis wrote in her column. Bellis, till last year, was working for Al Jazeera covering the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and the aftermath of the withdrawal.
In the column, dated Saturday, Bellis wrote that she returned to Qatar in September and found out she was pregnant. Consequently, she resigned from Al Jazeera in November and the couple moved to Huylebroek's native Belgium, where she couldn't stay for long as she was not a resident. The only other place that the couple had visas to live in was for Afghanistan.
Bellis, when she contacted the senior Taliban members, they assured her that she'll be fine if she returned to Afghanistan. As per a report published by Associated Press, Chris Bunny, the joint head of the New Zealand's Managed Isolation and Quarantine system, told The Herald that Bellis' application did not fit a requirement that she travel within 14 days.He also said that the staff had reached out to Bellis about making another application that would fit within requirements.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hopkins told The Herald that he had already put his office on the cse and asked them to check whether followed proper procedures in Bellis' case. He further said, that, "Bellis' case at first sight appeared to warrant further explanation."
What is the current status of her application?
On her official Twitter account, Bellis updated that on Sunday she, "received a letter from a generic MIQ email address suggesting that I apply via a different category for an emergency spot to return to New Zealand to give birth." She also attached their letter and her response to MIQ.
In her response, Bellis states that, "On Sunday, January 30, the MIQ changed its policy despite there being no new information or change to her situation."
The new guidance says that she apply under category 1a(iii) stating that there was a serious risk to her safety, which did not apply to her. She also wrote, "The cause for my return continues to be the need for time-critical medical treatment that is unavailable or inaccessible in our current location. If you are not approving us under 1a(i) please provide your justification."
