Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and for his support for the government action up to this point, and I welcome the Turkish ambassador, His Excellency Ufuk Gezer, here in the gallery this afternoon.

On behalf of the government, the parliament and the people of Australia, I extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the devastating earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkiye, in Syria and in neighbouring countries. Our hearts are heavy. It is impossible to look away from the terrible and heartbreaking scenes of loss. There's a terrible scale to the devastation—whole blocks levelled and buried—but the real devastation, of course, is for people. There are the small images of unimaginable pain: a parent searching desperately for a child, a newborn girl rescued from the rubble, whose mother will never hold her in her arms. This is a disaster that at first seemed so vast as to almost be beyond comprehension, but every tragedy is happening on a very human scale—every loss, every moment of grief, fear and desperation. We know that at least 4½ thousand lives have been lost. We know those figures will continue to rise. Many more than that have been injured. So many Australians have families in Turkiye and Syria and the region, and I can only imagine the depth of their anxiety as they await news.

Our immediate priority is the safety of Australian citizens and permanent residents affected by the earthquakes. Our embassies in Ankara, Istanbul and Beirut are assisting Australians in these areas. I'm pleased to confirm that Australia will deploy an urban search and rescue team of up to 72 personnel to Turkiye to assist local authorities. These urban search and rescue specialists are highly trained to locate, deliver medical assistance to and remove victims who have been trapped or impacted by a structural collapse. Our National Emergency Management Agency, or NEMA, is working closely with Fire and Rescue NSW, DFAT and the ADF to coordinate the deployment as soon as possible, with an aim to have people on the ground by the end of this week. I want to thank the personnel and their families in advance once again. They're willing to support people wherever support is needed, and I'm sure I speak for all Australians when I wish them all a safe journey.

We're also providing an initial $10 million in humanitarian assistance to trusted partners in the region, and I thank the parliament for its bipartisan support for that commitment. This will support the delivery of food, shelter and other essential supplies. I know many Australians will want to help too. The most effective way is to donate to one of the Australian non-government organisations, such as the Red Cross, who are appealing for support.

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