English
Berlin: Reacting to the latest developments after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said the international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it wants to protect any improvements made in Afghanistan during the last two decades of NATO’s deployment. She said that the goal must be to preserve as much as possible what Afghanistan has achieved in terms of changes in the last 20 years.
“Our goal must be to preserve as much as possible what we have achieved in terms of changes in Afghanistan in the last 20 years. This is something the international community must talk about with the Taliban,” Merkel was quoted by AFP as saying.
Talks with Taliban must continue to safeguard Afghan gains-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, reports AFP
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/LzG815mJZw
— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2021
Earlier, Germany had said that about 5,000 people are waiting at the Kabul airport to be flown out. Gen. Eberhard Zorn had said on Monday the figure has declined from about 7,000 at the weekend.
“We are now trying internationally to reduce this number as far as possible to make room for others…and above all, ultimately to cushion somewhat the precarious accommodation and waiting situation there,” he said.
Zorn said he couldn’t say what proportion of people at the airport are children or families. But he said that, on Germany’s flights, about 50% of the Afghans evacuated were women.
Germany flew in supplies on Sunday in an effort to help improve the situation inside the airport. Zorn said they included diapers, pacifiers and cuddly toys for small children, as well as food for children. More supplies are in the pipeline.
The situation in front of the gates remains difficult, I would also call it dramatic, because the accumulation of people interested in getting into the airport grounds is enormously high (and) additional potential for violence is arising on the ground in this group, Zorn said.
