Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Australia's longstanding presence at Al Minhad Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates, has served as a vital support for our military presence in Afghanistan, and it is now serving a vital role in evacuating Australians and Afghan visa holders. I want to acknowledge and thank the government of the United Arab Emirates for their support and cooperation in this evacuation process. The ADF has deployed more than 250 personnel and five aircraft to Al Minhad to carry out the evacuation operation.

We have put significant plans in place for the health and welfare of evacuees, including the deployment of an AUSMAT team, which is due to arrive today. We are very conscious of the traumatic experiences, fear and desperation of many who are travelling to our facilities at Al Minhad.