UN envoy meets Taliban interior minister “wanted by America”

A U.N. envoy met Thursday with Afghanistan’s new interior minister who has been on the U.S. most-wanted list for years.

The meeting between Deborah Lyons, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, and Sirajuddin Haqqani focused on humanitarian aid, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a statement on Twitter Thursday.

Haqqani “stressed that UN personnel can carry out their work without any hindrance and provide vital assistance to the Afghan people”, he added.

“Afghanistan was already facing drought and poverty, but the situation has deteriorated since the Taliban seized power last month, with aid disrupted, tens of thousands of people displaced, including government and aid workers, and most economic activity collapsing.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at an international aid conference this week that Afghans “may be facing their most dangerous time.”

Haqqani is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list, which offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.