Canberra [Australia], January 29 (ANI): Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senator for South Australia, Penny Wong, took to X to express her dismay at the plight of people in Afghanistan and Taliban's leadership.

In a post on X, she wrote, 'The people of Afghanistan are enduring one of the world's worst protracted humanitarian crises, exacerbated by the Taliban's failure to meet basic needs. In response, the Australian Government will provide a further $50 million in support through established UN partners.'

She spoke about Australian aid to Afghanistan through its 'UN partners.'

In a statement released on X, Wong said, 'This brings the total humanitarian support provided to the people of Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul in 2021 to $310 million... Almost 22 million people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of humanitarian support.'

As Afghan women continue to face barriers to employment amid social and economic restrictions, the European Union too had announced 10 million euros in funding for the second phase of its Women's Economic Empowerment through Local Enterprise Development (WE-LEAD) programme in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

The EU said the initiative will be implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and local Afghan institutions, with a focus on strengthening livelihoods, generating income opportunities and enhancing women's participation in the economy.

According to Tolo News, the EU noted in a statement that 'The project promotes culturally appropriate and Sharia-compliant financial mechanisms combined with business development support, mentorship, and market linkages.'

The European Union also announced that it will allocate EUR10 million to launch the second phase of its Women's Economic Empowerment through Local Enterprise Development (WE-LEAD) program in Afghanistan, according to a report by Tolo News.

According to Tolo News, citing the EU, the program will be implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and local Afghan institutions, aiming to improve livelihoods, create income opportunities, and support the economic role of women.

The statement issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS) on January 22 said that the new phase builds on the results and lessons of WE-LEAD Phase I and UNDP's Area Based Approach for Development Emergency Initiatives ABADEI. (ANI)