Afghan Taliban’s new UN envoy urges quick recognition

By KATHY GANNON
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban’s newly appointed envoy to the United Nations is urging quick world recognition of the Taliban government and Afghanistan’s new rulers even as the World Health Organization raised the alarm warning of an impending humanitarian disaster in the war-wracked country. In an emergency measure, the U.N. aid coordinator Martin Griffiths released $45 million in life-saving support for Afghanistan from the U.N.’s emergency fund on Wednesday. The humanitarian crisis is one of the many challenges Afghanistan’s new rulers face since their takeover of the country last month, including renewed threats from the Islamic State group, which recently stepped up attacks against the Taliban.