Afghan baby seen being lifted by US Marine over barbed wire wall has been reunited with her father, Pentagon confirms: Soldiers are 'doing their best' to return children back to their families in Kabul says DOD

  • A baby that was seen being handed over to US Marines over a wall topped with barbed wire at the airport in Kabul has been returned to her father
  • Infant was passed over the wall in order for the girl to receive medical treatment  
  • Soldiers are 'doing their best' to return babies back to their families in Kabul 
  • Source said there were no unaccompanied children at the airport or on flights
  • Witnesses had said they saw at least three children separated from their families 

A baby who was captured in a viral video being handed to a U.S. Marine over a wall topped with barbed-wire at Kabul airport in Afghanistan has been reunited with her father.

The video, which was taken by Omar Haidari, a human rights activist sees the sobbing infant, said to be a girl, being handed over to a Marine across a reinforced wall at Hamad Karzai International Airport who then hands the child to a fellow soldier. 

Marine Corps officials confirmed Friday that a member of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is seen receiving a child in a viral video showing the infant being handed through the crowds. 

'The baby seen in the video was taken to a medical treatment facility on site and cared for by medical professionals. I can confirm the baby was reunited with their father and is safe at the airport,' Major Jim Stenger told CBS News.   

'This is a true example of the professionalism of the Marines on site, who are making quick decisions in a dynamic situation in support of evacuation operations,' he added.

It is the latest iconic image to emerge as people desperate to flee the Taliban beg troops and US allies to help them evacuate. 

A baby is handed over to US Marines over a wall topped with barbed wire at the airport in Kabul as desperate locals wait to be evacuated, but the girl has since been returned to her father

A baby is handed over to US Marines over a wall topped with barbed wire at the airport in Kabul as desperate locals wait to be evacuated, but the girl has since been returned to her fatherPentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Friday afternoon that the baby was only given to the Marines to receive medical treatment and wasn’t, as first thought, passed over to board a flight. 

After the baby received medical treatment at a Norwegian field hospital at the airport, the Marines returned the infant back to the father. 

'The parent asked the Marines to look after the baby because the baby was ill. The Marine you see reaching over the wall, took it to a Norwegian hospital at the airport. They treated the child and returned the child to the father,' Kirby explained. 

'The baby was returned to its father. I don’t know where they are now. Obviously we have a responsibility to return a child to the parent. I don’t know who the parent is, if they're an SIV applicant. It was a humane act of compassion by the Marines.’

A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calms an infant during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday

A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calms an infant during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday 

An Airman comforts an baby during an evacuation at Kabul airport

An Airman comforts an baby during an evacuation at Kabul airport

U.S. service member carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint in Kabul on Friday

U.S. service member carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint in Kabul on Friday

A U.S. Airman carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Kabul airport

A U.S. Airman carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Kabul airport Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Friday afternoon that the baby was only given to the Marines to receive medical treatment and wasn’t, as first thought, passed over to board a flight. 

After the baby received medical treatment at a Norwegian field hospital at the airport, the Marines returned the infant back to the father. 

'The parent asked the Marines to look after the baby because the baby was ill. The Marine you see reaching over the wall, took it to a Norwegian hospital at the airport. They treated the child and returned the child to the father,' Kirby explained. 

'The baby was returned to its father. I don’t know where they are now. Obviously we have a responsibility to return a child to the parent. I don’t know who the parent is, if they're an SIV applicant. It was a humane act of compassion by the Marines.’

A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calms an infant during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday

A Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) calms an infant during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday 

An Airman comforts an baby during an evacuation at Kabul airport

An Airman comforts an baby during an evacuation at Kabul airport

U.S. service member carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint in Kabul on Friday

U.S. service member carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint in Kabul on Friday

A U.S. Airman carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Kabul airport

A U.S. Airman carries a child at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Kabul airport Earlier, Britain's Ministry of Defence explained how no unaccompanied children have been left at the airport, nor are any being evacuated on flights from the Afghan capital.

The MOD source said there was no representation from the UN or an NGO during the chaotic scenes at the airport.

It comes after the wife of a former Royal Marine commando who was evacuated out of Afghanistan said she saw at least three crying children being handed over to soldiers by their mothers in Kabul. 

Kaisa Markhus, 30, touched down in her native Norway this morning and breathed a huge sigh of relief as she met her mother and father in Oslo after she fled on an almost empty plane.

No way through: Westerners and Afghans with visas have to negotiate their way through this crowd (pictured today) if they want to make it to the airport. Kaisa said that the human tide outside the airport is only getting worse

No way through: Westerners and Afghans with visas have to negotiate their way through this crowd (pictured today) if they want to make it to the airport. Kaisa said that the human tide outside the airport is only getting worseEarlier, Britain's Ministry of Defence explained how no unaccompanied children have been left at the airport, nor are any being evacuated on flights from the Afghan capital.

The MOD source said there was no representation from the UN or an NGO during the chaotic scenes at the airport.

It comes after the wife of a former Royal Marine commando who was evacuated out of Afghanistan said she saw at least three crying children being handed over to soldiers by their mothers in Kabul. 

Kaisa Markhus, 30, touched down in her native Norway this morning and breathed a huge sigh of relief as she met her mother and father in Oslo after she fled on an almost empty plane.

No way through: Westerners and Afghans with visas have to negotiate their way through this crowd (pictured today) if they want to make it to the airport. Kaisa said that the human tide outside the airport is only getting worse

No way through: Westerners and Afghans with visas have to negotiate their way through this crowd (pictured today) if they want to make it to the airport. Kaisa said that the human tide outside the airport is only getting worseKaisa's Norwegian evacuation flight was almost empty. She said: ¿Once on the plane, we waited on the tarmac for hours for people to get through. But eventually we had to take off. I just had a feeling of sadness because the flight was so empty¿.

Kaisa's Norwegian evacuation flight was almost empty. She said: 'Once on the plane, we waited on the tarmac for hours for people to get through. But eventually we had to take off. I just had a feeling of sadness because the flight was so empty'. She and a pregnant American friend, who manages the Nowzad animal sanctuary set up by her partner Pen, had to physically push their way through a sea of men, women and children to get to an access gate.

Once there, they had to get the attention of U.S soldiers manning the checkpoint, who had to examine their paperwork before letting them through.

During the hour-long wait to process their forms they had to remain in the crush outside the gate, frantically trying to avoid being sucked back into the crowd and out of sight of the soldiers.

Eventually they were waved through. Kaisa walked her American friend to the U.S processing centre before heading to the Norwegian office.

After her passport and paperwork was checked again, she boarded a virtually empty military plane, which remained on the tarmac for several hours waiting for fellow Norwegian ex-pats to board.

However, only a few stragglers managed to get through the chaos and confusion outside Kabul Airport and the plane had to take off with only a handful of passengers.

The military plane arrived at Georgia in the early hours of the morning and she caught a connecting commercial flight on to Oslo.

Kaisa said: 'I'm very pleased and relieved to be home finally.

'There are thousands of desperate and terrified people in Afghanistan who fear for their lives at the hands of the Taliban rulers and its these people who are crowding around Kabul Airport looking for any way out.

People run from gunfire in chaotic scenes at Kabul airport in Afghanistan

People run from gunfire in chaotic scenes at Kabul airport in Afghanistan

U.S. Marine escorts evacuees to the Evacuation Control Center at Hamid Karzai International Airpor

U.S. Marine escorts evacuees to the Evacuation Control Center at Hamid Karzai International Airpor

A U.S. Navy Sailor checks a child arriving at an Evacuate Control Center at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan

A U.S. Navy Sailor checks a child arriving at an Evacuate Control Center at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan

US Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit calm infants during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Friday

US Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit calm infants during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Friday

AMarine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provides fresh water to a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan

AMarine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provides fresh water to a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan

A U.S. Marine assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit fist bumps a child evacuee

A U.S. Marine assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit fist bumps a child evacuee

A U.S. Marine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provides water to a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

A U.S. Marine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provides water to a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

A U.S. Marine assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit interacts with children during an evacuation

A U.S. Marine assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit interacts with children during an evacuation

'There are four gates to the airport and each one is surrounded by masses of people.

'The problem is that unless you have valid paperwork and the proper forms to get through the gate, the soldiers won't let you through.

'That needs to be made clear to people because at the moment whole families are sleeping rough outside the perimeter fencing hoping to somehow get through.

'And for those who do have seats booked on flights out of Afghanistan, nobody can get through the human tide outside Kabul Airport. It's not getting any better, only worse as people get more desperate.

'We need to somehow make it clear to the people that there is no point crowding outside the airport if you don't have the right papers. They won't get in and will only put their lives at risk in a dangerous crush.'

'The Taliban have been calm and logical to negotiate with. I think we have a few days on us, but we do not have much time to find a solution to get our employees to safety.' 

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