BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany will keep evacuating people from Afghanistan as long as it is responsible to do so, Chancellor Angela Merkel told conservative lawmakers on Wednesday, adding, however, that this is only possible with the United States, two sources said.
Thousands of people are still desperate to flee the country after Kabul fell to the Taliban last week and before an Aug. 31 deadline.
Germany’s Bundeswehr has so far flown more than 4,500 people out of Afghanistan, tweeted the foreign ministry. Around 3,700 of them are Afghan nationals, with women and girls making up about half the number.
Many journalists and human rights activists are among those who have been flown out, it said.
Broadcaster ARD had earlier reported that German evacuations may stop as soon as Wednesday.
“There will be no special path for Germany. All steps are being closely agreed with partners,” one source quoted Merkel as saying.
Talks between leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Tuesday resulted in no extension of the Aug. 31 deadline for evacuations.
Merkel said in Tuesday there are intensive discussions on whether a civilian-operated airport in Kabul could be used after that deadline.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Kirsti Knolle)
