Berlin sends top diplomat to Doha for talks with Taliban

BERLIN

Germany has sent a top diplomat to the Qatari capital for talks with the Taliban to find a solution for the evacuation of local Afghan helpers, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters on Tuesday.

Maas said Markus Potzel has been dispatched to Doha to see whether there is a possibility for local Afghan helpers to get to the Kabul airport and that those whom we have registered for evacuation can be flown out of the country.

Hundreds of local Afghan staff who worked for the German military, ministries and development aid organizations are reportedly barred by the Taliban from accessing the Kabul airport to leave the country.

Maas said it was "important to find a solution" for the evacuation of local helpers.

Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Monday to bring Germans and local staff to safety after the Taliban claimed victory.

She said Berlin would help its Afghan staff who have been working for German organizations.

Berlin would "do everything in our power" to get these people out of the country, she vowed.

The Merkel government is facing intense pressure for not doing enough to get Afghan helpers outside of the war-stricken country as many fear for their lives if they stay in Afghanistan.