Italy will work with Pakistan and other countries bordering Afghanistan to forge a joint humanitarian aid strategy for the Taliban-controlled country, which faces an economic and food crisis in the coming months.
"The biggest risk will come in the next few months. If we don't help the Afghan people, a food and economic crisis could trigger major migratory flows," Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio warned on Monday.
Speaking from Islamabad, on the last leg of a four-day visit to the region and to Qatar, Di Maio said that Italy, Pakistan and Afghanistan's other neighbours will "build a common strategy based on humanitarian aid".
Italy "has developed a plan for the Afghan people at European level, and in all multilateral forums we are urging help for them to avoid a humanitarian crisis," Di Maio said.
As current G20 president, Italy is seeking to convene world powers at an emergency summit on Afghanistan to decide how to help its population, especially women, young people and the elderly, Di Maio stated.
"We want to prevent people being forced to migrate, to help those who want to leave the country," Di Maio underlined.
