U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday there were around 4,500 U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. He says there "have been no hostile interactions with the Taliban and our lines of communication with Taliban commanders remain open,” after the group seized power on Sunday as foreign forces withdrew following a two-decades-long war.

Austin also told reporters U.S. troops do not currently have the capability to help people reach the airport because they are focused on securing the airfield, but stressed they will "do everything we can to continue to try and deconflict and create passageways for them to get to the airfield.”

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said during a briefing Wednesday the U.S. expects the Taliban to allow Afghans who wish to leave to depart safely following reports that the group was blocking airport access.

“We all share a focus right now on making sure that our countrymen and women, that Afghans at-risk in all categories, are able to leave the country should they so choose,” Sherman said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has started moving some of its international staff out of Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, but said the world body is "committed to staying and delivering in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need."

Mary Ellen McGroarty, the World Food Programme director in Afghanistan added the U.N. was speaking with the Taliban about how the airport would operate once the U.S. hands over control. She said it was not clear when the U.S. would leave and what would happen after that.

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