Angela Merkel thinks money is necessary for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan

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Angela Merkel following the G20 video switch on Afghanistan

Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / AFP

After a G20 switching conference on Afghanistan, Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out in favor of helping the country despite the radical Islamic Taliban government. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are also responsible for this. "None of us benefit from the collapse of the entire financial system in Afghanistan," said Merkel on Tuesday in Berlin. "Then humanitarian aid cannot be provided either." Of course, it is certainly not always an easy delimitation how to help the Taliban government. "But to watch 40 million people fall into chaos because neither electricity can be supplied nor a financial system exists, that cannot and must not be the goal of the international community."

According to UN figures, around 18 million Afghans - and thus half of the total population - are dependent on humanitarian aid. 93 percent of households do not have enough to eat. According to the UN, basic services are about to collapse. A much bigger humanitarian catastrophe looms if the international community allows Afghanistan's health care, banks and economy to collapse.

With a view to an international donor conference in September, Merkel said that Germany had confirmed its intention to use 600 million euros for humanitarian aid.

In addition to humanitarian aid, a swift vaccination campaign is important.

She said the issue of recognizing the Taliban government was not on the agenda.

Nevertheless, there must be talks.

The Chancellor emphasized the fight against terrorism.

Afghanistan should not pose a threat to the outside world again.

EU pledges aid money

At the summit, the European Union pledged further aid to the country and its neighbors: One billion euros should help "avert a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse," said Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen.

The aid funds complement the 300 million euros in humanitarian aid that the EU had already promised.

250 million euros are to flow into the country as direct aid.

According to the EU, the remainder will be distributed to Afghanistan's neighboring countries that are taking in people fleeing from the Taliban regime.

In addition to Biden and Merkel, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took part in the meeting, which was organized by Italy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were represented.

sol / dpa / afp / Reuters