CANBERRA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia will provide 7.5 million U.S. dollars' worth of humanitarian assistance to Iraq during the coalition's military operation to defeat Islamic State(IS) in the region, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday.
Bishop said the donation to the city of Mosul is in addition the 45 million U.S. dollars already contributed to Iraq by Australia, adding that the money would be used to ensure Iraqi civilians remain safe during the fighting.
"Australia will provide an additional 7.5 million U.S dollars in life-saving support to Mosul's civilians," Bishop said in a statement on Tuesday.
"This will include emergency food, medical assistance, temporary shelter and support to women and girls for reproductive health.
The foreign minister added that the commencement of the operation to drive IS out of Mosul - and out of the Middle East - was an "important milestone" in the fight against the terror organization.
