"humanitarian"

As the abrupt cutoff of foreign funding since the Taliban takeover threatens economic collapse in Afghanistan, risking the lives of many of its citizens along with their livelihoods, a United Nations agency has come up with a way to keep at least some of the money flowing.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday and stressed "urgent action" to address the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Afghanistan, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

"A safe, secure, and sustainable future in Afghanistan can only be achieved through successful peace negotiations," UN humanitarian chief said.

Since the start of the year, nearly 360,000 people have been forcibly displaced by conflict in southern Afghanistan. About 5 million people have been displaced since 2012.

Last December, at a Mass in Dublin, congregants were asked to pray for the victims of the Anak Krakatau tsunami in Indonesia and for countries to be generous in coming to their aid. As someone who has observed the humanitarian scene for two decades, I knew the second part would not be necessary.

State prosecutor says former premier may have applied for political asylum

Thailand will provide US$200,000 (Bt7.3 million) to aid Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, the Foreign Ministry said.