Humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan

Today I announce that the Australian Government will provide humanitarian assistance to support people affected by food shortage throughout Afghanistan.

The United Nations has revised its Humanitarian Response Plan to call for urgent funding to provide emergency food, nutrition and water to over 1.4 million people who will need these supplies over the coming months.

Australia's assistance of $5 million will support the most vulnerable, including women and children and people with a disability. It will provide immediate access to specialised nutritional products, and fortify and distribute wheat supplied through the Government of Afghanistan's Strategic Grain Reserve.

Our assistance is being provided through the United Nations World Food Programme, a core partner in DFAT's Regional Humanitarian Strategy. This joint effort with the Government of Afghanistan aims to respond to immediate needs and help build community resilience.

This funding is in addition to the $39 million over three years that I announced in March 2018 to support vulnerable groups affected by conflict and displacement. It brings Australia's humanitarian response to Afghanistan to $84 million since 2014.