Taliban seize Afghanistan: 200 locals could be rescued by NZ rescue operation

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says up to 200 Afghan locals could be included in New Zealand's extraction operation from the chaotic country.

The Defence Force was working on plans to send a plane to get Kiwis out of the troubled area as the Taliban seizes control of the country.

An estimated 53 New Zealanders and 37 Afghan nationals who had worked alongside the NZDF are still in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister noted commercial flights had ceased operating out of Kabul because it was "very difficult for anyone to operate in right now".

New Zealand could help rescue people from other countries and in turn Kiwis could be helped by other nations, she said.

Ardern said the focus was to get New Zealanders out of Afghanistan, or those such as translators whose lives were at risk because they supported the country while New Zealand was in Afghanistan.

The Government's immediate focus was on those who had worked alongside the Defence Force and their dependents.

At this stage it was likely that group included about 200 people.

"We are doing everything we can to get New Zealanders out," Ardern said.

She met with members of the local Afghan community today and said she could see how distressing it was for families watching the images coming out of Afghanistan.

It was a chaotic situation, but the Government was doing everything it could do, she said.

Ardern said she thought it would be unfair to say the contribution by the NZDF had not made a difference to Afghanistan at the time.

She had no intention to rewrite history and leaders made the best decision for the country at that time.