DW has managed to evacuate first family members of employees from Afghanistan

Since the Taliban took power, the relatives of Afghan journalists working abroad have also been in danger.

DW Director General Peter Limbourg welcomed the group in Katar after landing: "We all had to wait a long time for this day. There had been repeated hurdles over the past weeks, but we have finally overcome them. We are extremely grateful to the German Foreign Office for supporting DW in this phase as well. Thanks to the enormous commitment of the Government of Qatar, we now have a concrete plan for the evacuation of the other family members and the two correspondents who remained in Afghanistan."

While in Doha, Limbourg met with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and his assistant Qatari foreign minister, Lolwah Al-Khater and thanked them for their tremendous support: "You and your small team have impressed me with your tremendous dedication and efficiency. In addition, you are personally attending to the evacuees with great compassion."

Since the Taliban tightened exit regulations a few weeks ago, Afghan citizens have not been able to leave the country by air without a valid passport. Later, the Pakistani Government imposed a similar regulation affecting land travel as well. Thanks to the sustained efforts of the Government of Qatar many people can now be provided with passports and travel to Doha.