Australia pledges extra $2m to help women and girls in Iraq

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has announced special humanitarian funding to support women and girls caught up in the conflict in Iraq.

Australia has pledged more funds to help Iraqi women and children

A Syrian woman with her four children sits begging in the street on September 17, 2014, in Istanbul.

Women and girls in Iraq will get special humanitarian aid from Australia.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has pledged $2 million to help displaced women and girls and victims of gender-based violence, via the United Nations Population Fund.

Women and girls were bearing the brunt of the conflict with the Islamic State group (also known as ISIS or ISIL), Ms Bishop said.

The funding comes on top of $5 million Australia provided in emergency humanitarian assistance to people fleeing violence in northern Iraq, $130 million for people in need in Syria and $20 million to support refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.

Ms Bishop made the announcement from New York, where she has addressed the United Nations Security Council on the threat IS poses.

The "murderous terrorist organisation" was not only a threat to the Middle East but to Australia and the rest of the world, she said.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Australia pledges extra $2m to help women and girls in Iraq | SBS News