Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question and I also acknowledge her and her family's personal connection with Pakistan, along with many others in the diaspora, for whom this has been a very difficult time. The senator is right. This is a disaster on a truly massive scale, with 33 million people affected, including through displacement and loss of livelihood. We've seen lives lost, including those of children. On behalf of the Australian government, as I did last week, I extend our sympathies and condolences to the families and communities in Pakistan that have lost loved ones and to the many who have been affected by the devastating floods.

We announced a contribution, as the senator indicated, through the World Food Programme of $2 million to assist the Pakistani government and its people to respond to immediate humanitarian needs, particularly focusing on those who are disproportionately affected, including women, children and the vulnerable.

In relation to the request, I would make a few points. The first is that Australia will consider further support in consultation with international partners following the launch of the UN flash appeal. It is the case that our initial response is on par with many other medium-size donors. To be frank, there are humanitarian demands around the world, including in our near region. Just as we would always like to be able to fund many of the good ideas that were discussed at the jobs summit, so too when it comes to humanitarian aid do I and my ministers in the portfolio always have more worthy requests than we can fund. (Time expired)