Germany will try to help Afghans who worked with its soldiers and aid organisations and wish to leave Afghanistan even after an Aug. 31 deadline to end a U.S.-led military evacuation operation, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.
"The end of the air bridge in a few days must not mean the end of efforts to protect Afghan helpers and help those Afghans who have been left in a bigger emergency with the takeover of the Taliban," Merkel told the German parliament.
"That's why we are working intensively at all levels to find how we can protect those who helped us, including through the civilian operation of the airport in Kabul," she added.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
