KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) announced a restructuring of its operations in Afghanistan, saying that from 2025 it will implement projects exclusively through NGOs.
In a statement on Thursday, July 4, GIZ said it will no longer employ its own local staff in Afghanistan, and its work will be coordinated from Germany or a third country. “GIZ does not work with the de facto authorities [the Taliban],” it emphasized.
The German agency highlighted that its operations will remain focused on supporting the local population with basic services. “This includes improving self-sufficiency in poorer urban and rural communities, training midwives and women health professionals, and supporting women entrepreneurs and women-led organizations,” GIZ highlighted.
GIZ has been operating in Afghanistan in the fields of development and stabilization since 2002. According to the agency, it has provided skill training opportunities for over 200,000 Afghans, with almost half being women.
“More than 40,000 people took part in legal seminars, including over 18,000 women. Around 6,000 women took part in literacy courses and approximately 42,000 women received agricultural training, allowing them to secure work and an income,” the agency said.
It also supported Afghanistan’s healthcare sector by building or renovating 29 hospitals and health centers, benefiting more than 1 million people.
However, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, which resulted in a drastic change in the humanitarian situation, GIZ focused more on helping Afghans with their basic needs such as food and water.
GIZ states that since September 2021, it has also been supporting at-risk Afghans and their families in leaving Afghanistan and entering Germany legally.
Following the Taliban’s return to power, many international organizations have decided to reduce or even suspend operations in Afghanistan, citing the regime’s restrictions on women’s education and work, as well as funding shortfalls.
This latest development comes as Afghanistan confronts one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with over 23 million people, predominantly women and children, relying on humanitarian assistance.
