Video: President Joe Biden Provides Update On Afghanistan Evacuations

Updated 12:13 p.m.

President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: “We will get you home.”

Biden’s comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans, rescuing them from a Taliban takeover of the country. Biden is facing criticism from some at home for the chaotic and often violent scene outside the airport as crowds struggle to reach safety.

The pace of evacuations picked up some overnight, but flights from the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours as of Friday afternoon before resuming. U.S. officials said the “pause” was because of a backup at a transit point for the refugees, a U.S. airbase in Qatar. Next flights were headed to Bahrain, an official said.

One official said there was a backlog on Friday of about 10,000 people at the airport who have been cleared for departure and were awaiting flights.