The last group of Afghan refugees temporarily housed at the US Marine base at Quantico, Virginia has been dispersed to settle more permanently elsewhere in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Thursday. "Yesterday [Wednesday], the last group of Afghan nationals temporarily housed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) departed the base," the DHS said.

"To date, more than 49,000 Afghan evacuees have been resettled in communities across our country. These resettlement efforts are led by the Department of State in close coordination with more than 290 local resettlement affiliates," the DHS said.

Most of these people were provided refuge in the US after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15 which led to the mass exodus of Afghans, particularly women and children. 

The Defense Department continues to provide temporary housing facilities for the remaining approximately 25,000 Afghan refugees at Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Pickett, Virginia; and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, the release noted.  Quantico is the second of eight Department of Defense installations supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees since the Taliban overran the country during the final stages of the US military evacuation in August, the release noted.(SAM)