Australians have donated more than a million dollars to help the work of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, where assistance includes providing money to keep female-led households alive amid Taliban rule. Australian Red Cross Head of International Humanitarian Programs Adrian Prouse said Afghanistan was experiencing a “man-made catastrophe”. “Essential services are on the brink of collapse and the people of Afghanistan, in particular the women and children, are bearing the brunt of harsh international policies that have placed the country into economic free fall,” Prouse said. He thanked the Australian public who had donated more than one million dollars to the organisation, which had seen a 30 percent increase in the need for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan since August 2021. Australian Red Cross has called on the Federal government to expedite the remainder of its $100 million commitment in aid to Afghanistan and increase humanitarian assistance to the country. The …