She has tried, desperately, to have him brought out to Australia since arriving eight months ago, and while she is told he is eligible and will be granted a humanitarian visa, he does not have one yet. And the need has never been greater.

Her son is in hiding in Kabul, overtaken by the Taliban after the western-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled earlier this month, following the withdrawal of American troops. Australia had withdrawn the last of its defence and civilian personnel from the country in June.

"The Taliban know he is my son," said Aziza, who now lives in Jesmond. "They are going to every door during the night, going into people's houses at night, and every day. He is staying inside the house."

Not far from the house where he is in hiding, neighbours have seen the Taliban beat up one woman and take another, and kill someone else that they know.

Already, Aziza said, she has lost her brother and his family who were taken shortly after she left the country because of their links to her as a well-known journalist.

An effort is underway in Australia to help journalists in Afghanistan after female journalists were taken off air. The Media, Arts and Entertainment Alliance has established the Afghan Women Journalists Appeal to provide emergency financial support for women media workers and their families.

The alliance says that media workers, particularly women, and their families are in dire peril. The International Federation of Journalists has received requests for emergency assistance from more than 1000 Afghan media workers.

War veteran and humanitarian lawyer, Glenn Kolomeitz, director of GAP Legal Services, said there are 147 Australian Embassy security guards, staff and their families still stuck at Kabul airport waiting for evacuation.

"With no further information given by DFAT personnel on the ground, they continue to shelter waiting for evacuation instructions. The Australian Embassy guards are desperately flying our Australian flag upside down in extreme distress, pleading to the Australian Government for their help."

Mr Kolomeitz is also representing Afghan refugees whose families are trying escape, including the family of Najia Najia, whose brother was an interpreter for the Australian army and who now lives in Newcastle. She is agitating for the safe passage of her 17 family members to Australia. They have escaped to Germany, and she is hopeful the visa process can be fast-tracked so that they can be reunited. They are grieving the loss of her uncle and his family, killed just a few weeks in Afghanistan. "I am happy that they are safe in Germany now but I am worried about where they will go. Our family has suffered so much."

Aziza is not alone, with the families of other former interpreters living in Newcastle saying the Taliban are going door to door in Kabul taking cars and possessions from families, and searching for people with links to the west. Fardin Rahmani says the Taliban is also hunting down members of his family who remain in danger.