Australian Greens International Aid and Development spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Senator Janet Rice have today written to the Foreign Affairs Minister urging Australia to boost aid to Afghanistan as a matter of urgency.
Senator Faruqi said:
“There is a grave humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, with the country on the brink of famine and near-universal poverty, the scale of which has not been seen in recent times.
“This crisis is a direct result of the war waged on the people of Afghanistan by Western nations, including Australia. For decades the people of Afghanistan were caught between the violence of the Taliban on one hand and that of the allied forces on the other.
“The least we can do now is increase Australian aid to prevent millions of people from starvation and death.
“While Australia’s funding commitment last year was certainly welcome, we can and must do more. All of the funding committed should be immediately disbursed to aid organisations working on the ground in Afghanistan and who have strong connections with local communities and civil society.
“Australia should also commit significant additional aid funding to Afghanistan as a matter of urgency. This should be in the order of at least $100 million per year.”
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