“State cooperation on development is suspended for the time being,” German Development Minister Gerd Müller said in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.

The German government had agreed to send €430 million (6 million) to Afghanistan a year, making it one of the biggest donors to the country.

This money was intended to support the training of local police forces and strengthen the justice system, as well as furthering the rights of women and fighting corruption.

German officials were trying to evacuate people on Tuesday. 

“We are working at pace to evacuate from Afghanistan those local development officials and NGO workers who want to leave,” said Müller.

The difficult situation on the ground has created obstacles for an evacuation mission being led by German forces in Kabul.

Officials admitted on Tuesday that a German military plane left Kabul carrying just seven evacuees while hundreds waited on the ground because allies responsible for security at the airport could not secure their access to the transport.

Germany is seeking to complete the evacuation of local staff “so far as possible” in the scope of the current international evacuation mission.

According to German officials, Afghanistan as country was not “viable” without the support of international aid./thelocal.de