Australia to extend additional aid to Ukraine

CANBERRA – The Australian government will expand its support to Ukraine, the premier’s office said in a statement.

Following discussions between the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defense and their Ukrainian counterparts, it is clear that Ukraine’s need for military assistance remains urgent and ongoing. In response, Defense has developed an additional $21 million support package of defensive military assistance for Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will bring Australia’s total military assistance so far to $91 million.

To meet Ukrainian priority requests, this package will comprise additional material from Australian Defense Force stocks.

The Government will continue to identify opportunities to provide further military assistance where it is able to provide required capability to the Ukraine Armed Forces expeditiously.

Today, the Morrison Government commits to an additional $30 million in emergency humanitarian assistance. This contribution will focus on protecting women, children, the elderly and the disabled, and takes the total we have so far committed to $65 million.

To help address education and critical protection needs for children, people living with a disability and those facing risks of gender-based violence, Australia will provide $10 million through non-government organisations under the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.

We will provide $8 million to the United Nations Population Fund to protect displaced women and girls from gender-based violence and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services.

To help address increasingly severe food shortages, Australia will also contribute $10 million to the World Food Programme.

And to enhance the response of Australian NGOs and their partners in the region, we will provide $2 million to the Emergency Action Alliance Ukraine Appeal – funding which will attract matched private donations.

To encourage Australians to respond to the crisis in Ukraine, we will also amend the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme’s list of eligible countries. Donations to approved aid organisations that are directly supporting Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary will be tax deductible.(MENA)