Drought, internal conflict and the threat of terrorism risk bringing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the brink of collapse, Italy said in a stark warning on Friday.
''Our great fear is that the drought gripping Afghanistan, the threat of internal conflict and terrorism could cause the country to collapse and become a failed state," said foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
"To prevent this it is crucial to cooperate with the United Nations refugee agency and with countries in the region," Di Maio added in comments at a book presentation in Rome.
Italy and other nations will keep working with neighbouring countries to evacuate refugees from Afghanistan, where the international community must help the 35 million people who remain there, Di Maio said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has convened a summit in Geneva on Monday in hybrid format to highlight the need for urgent funding for Afghanistan, where a third of the population are at risk of hunger, Di Maio noted.
