The Balkan country had committed to taking in 450 Afghan civilians, including women and children, the government said in a statement.

Most of them are Afghans and their family members who worked for various human rights organisations and peace-keeping missions, but also journalists, translators and students.

Almost half of the refugees are families of former employees of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), an US non-governmental organisation that operated in Afghanistan.

They expected the refugees to arrive in North Macedonia "by the end of the week", but could not confirm a precise time because of the "complicated situation" at Kabul airport, statement added.

The refugees will be housed in hotels in North Macedonia until they obtain visas to travel to the United States, their stay financed by US and international organisations.

North Macedonia's neighbours, Albania and Kosovo, said on Sunday they were ready to provide shelter to Afghan refugees potentially threatened by the Taliban.