11:I[8479,["349","static/chunks/349-c9bb88602114b6df.js","173","static/chunks/173-8ffc04d433c3339f.js","865","static/chunks/865-f26eeb7d8a4ff1d6.js","444","static/chunks/app/episode/%5Buuid%5D/page-e9df19c6dc9fc3dd.js"],"EpisodeClient"] 12:T46b,In the last week, the Taliban have gained control of large sections of Afghanistan faster than most people expected. The Pentagon is dispatching troops to assist in evacuating staff from the American embassy in Kabul, where refugee camps are growing more crowded. The U.N. says the country may be on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Audie Cornish the 300,000-member Afghan military needs "the willpower" to stand up to the Taliban.

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NPR Privacy Policy13:T46b,In the last week, the Taliban have gained control of large sections of Afghanistan faster than most people expected. The Pentagon is dispatching troops to assist in evacuating staff from the American embassy in Kabul, where refugee camps are growing more crowded. The U.N. says the country may be on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Audie Cornish the 300,000-member Afghan military needs "the willpower" to stand up to the Taliban.

Taliban Gains, U.S. Evacuates: What's The Endgame In Afghanistan?