France evacuates its citizens from Afghanistan, months after Taliban takeover

France has conducted an evacuation mission in Afghanistan, transporting 258 Afghans, 11 French, approximately 60 Dutch nationals, and an unspecified number of people associated with them out of the country, a spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry said on Friday.

The operation was organised with assistance from Qatar, according to a ministry statement.

Evacuees included at-risk Afghans, such as journalists and those with ties to France, such as civilian employees of the French army.

Since September 10, the statement added, at least 110 French nationals and 396 Afghans have been evacuated from Afghanistan via ten flights organised with the assistance of Qatar.

On Thursday, France and Qatar collaborated on a humanitarian mission, delivering medical equipment, food, and winter supplies to international organisations operating in the country via a Qatari military plane, a spokeswoman for the French foreign ministry said.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this week described Afghanistan’s socio economic prospects for the next 13 months as “alarming.”

Afghanistan is grappling with a sharp decline in international development assistance following the Taliban’s August takeover, and the UNDP has projected that poverty will reach near universality by mid-2022.