CANBERRA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Thursday announced an additional 50 million Australian dollars (35.4 million U.S. dollars) in funding for humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and International Development Minister Anne Aly said in a joint statement that the people of Afghanistan are enduring one of the world's worst protracted humanitarian crises.
The new funding takes the total humanitarian support provided by Australia to the people of Afghanistan to 310 million AUD (219.6 million USD) since 2021.
Wong and Aly said that the new funding would focus on supporting women and girls, prioritizing food security, health services, and protecting dignity, safety and rights.
"Australia's humanitarian support will help save lives, alleviate suffering, and meet the basic needs of communities affected by the ongoing Afghanistan crisis," Wong said.
UNICEF's representative in Afghanistan, Tajudeen Oyewale, said in Kabul on Tuesday that the country is facing one of the world's worst child malnutrition crises, with around 3.7 million children suffering from wasting annually. ■