21 June 2017

News Story: Australia announces 11.4 mln USD humanitarian aid package for Afghanistan, Pakistan

CANBERRA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has allocated an additional 15 million Australian dollars (11.41 million U.S. dollars) to provide humanitarian support to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the nation's Foreign Minister announced on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the package as part of World Refugee Day.

"The United Nations (UN) estimates over 3.3 million Afghan people are currently displaced across Afghanistan and Pakistan," Bishop said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Australia's assistance of 15 million Australian dollars will provide vital protection services, healthcare and nutrition to Afghan refugees in Pakistan, people returning from neighboring countries, people displaced by conflict and host communities in Pakistan. It will focus on protecting the most vulnerable, including women and children and people with disabilities," she said.

Bishop said the assistance would be allocated to and provided by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund, the International Organisation for Migration, and the UN Population Fund.

Read the full story at Xinhua