Day: August 20, 2021

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Taliban asks UN to stay in Afghanistan to continue humanitarian work

Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, said the Taliban asked the UN to stay in Afghanistan to continue humanitarian work.

Sputniknews reported on Friday that Alakbarov said the UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA) in Afghanistan and Taliban have coordinated for 18 years, adding the Taliban has always pledged to support the world’s largest multilateral organization.

The Taliban reiterated its support and requested the UN to remain in Afghanistan and provide humanitarian assistance, according to Alakbarov.

He said there is no “new agreement” between the OCHA and the Taliban but top priority should be given to women who are working in the humanitarian sector to get to work.

Source: VOV5

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Malaysia has new Prime Minister

Malaysia’s Monarch announced the appointment of Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the deputy leader of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), as the prime minister on Friday, replacing Muhyiddin Yassin, who stepped down this week.

The decision was made following a meeting of King Al-Sultan Abdullah and party leaders the same day. Ismail Sabri has the support of 114 lawmakers out of the 222-seat parliament.

Ismail was the Defense Minister since March, 2020 before he was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister in July, 2021.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on August 16 after losing major seats in the parliament.

Source: VOV5

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APEC economies commit to 10-year food security roadmap

Agriculture and food ministers from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have committed to boosting food security over the next ten years.

The commitment was made at the virtual Food Security Ministerial Meeting held on Thursday as part of the APEC 2021 hosted by New Zealand.

The plan focuses on four key areas – digitalisation and innovation, productivity, inclusivity, and sustainability.

The statement issued after the meeting underlined that ensuring the world has a consistent supply of food is one of the biggest challenges facing APEC economies and the rest of the world, particularly as they recover from COVID-19.

The World Bank estimates that nearly 2.37 billion people lacked access to adequate food last year, a rise of 320 million in just one year. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to supply in both production and distribution networks.

Source: VOV5