Thorsten Schäfer‑Gümbel Defends GIZ Withdrawal from Yemen

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ will temporarily house UNDP staff relocated to Bonn at the request of the German Foreign Office. (Schäfer‑Gümbel said GIZ agreed to accommodate some UNDP staff moving to Bonn.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] Thorsten Schäfer‑Gümbel, GIZ board spokesperson, defended the agency's withdrawal from Yemen. (Thorsten Schäfer‑Gümbel said the agency is pulling out of Yemen.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ is investigating fraud involving millions of euros in its Yemen projects. (Schäfer‑Gümbel mentioned investigations into multi‑million‑euro fraud in Yemen projects.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] A 2013 terrorist attack in Yemen killed three GIZ employees, after which international staff left the country. (Schäfer‑Gümbel referenced the 2013 attack that killed three GIZ employees.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ will close the Bonn‑Kottenforst academy, the Feldafing site, and smaller offices in Düsseldorf and Magdeburg by the end of 2027. (Schäfer‑Gümbel announced the planned closures of several German offices by 2027.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ categorises Sudan and Afghanistan as red or dark‑red risk countries and reviews them annually. (Schäfer‑Gümbel mentioned that countries like Sudan and Afghanistan are placed in high‑risk categories and are examined 每)
• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ cited arbitrary arrests of UN personnel in rebel‑held areas as a reason for its withdrawal from Yemen. (Schäfer‑Gümbel said the withdrawal was due to UN staff arrests.)
• [● 3 SOURCES] GIZ has tightened its risk assessment, increased staff rotation, and is implementing a new SAP system globally. (Schäfer‑Gümbel said GIZ strengthened controls and introduced a new SAP system worldwide.)