Germany extends support to Afghans with funds amounting to USD 11.7 million

Berlin: Germany is set to provide 10 million euros (USD 11.7 million) for a program to support people in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. The German Foreign Ministry will provide 10 million euros ($11.7 million) for a program to support people in Afghanistan, Sputnik quoted Foreign Minister Heiko Maas as saying on Wednesday (August 18).

"We are looking into the period after the evacuation, I spoke about this with representatives of German human rights organizations... These days, many representatives of NGOs, science and culture addressed us. In recent years, they have maintained a close partnership with civil society (in Afghanistan) which they would like to continue to support," Maas said.

"To ensure this, we are creating a support fund for those who campaigned for human rights, freedom of science and culture, we want to expand specific protection programs for Afghanistan... and we are allocating immediately 10 million euros for this," he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday described the Taliban`s Afghanistan takeover as "bitter, dramatic and terrible".

During a televised news conference Merkel said, "This is a particularly bitter development. Bitter, dramatic and terrible...it is terrible for the millions of Afghans who have worked for the freedom of a society," CNN reported.

On Sunday (August 15), the Taliban completed their takeover of Afghanistan by entering Kabul. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country to prevent what he described as bloodshed that would occur if militants had to fight for the city.

Most countries have reduced or evacuated their diplomatic missions in the Central Asian country following the events.