Australia Deploys Aid and Crisis Teams to Nepal Following Devastating Disaster

 

KATHMANDU / CANBERRA— The Australian Government has pledged $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid** and deployed specialized crisis personnel to Nepal in the wake of a catastrophic natural disaster that has devastated mountain communities across the region.

Speaking on Australia’s official response strategy, Assistant Minister Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite outlined the nation’s relief package, search-and-rescue efforts for missing citizens, and long-term commitments to climate resilience in the Himalayas. The update comes as the number of missing Australian nationals in Nepal has risen to 41.

Below is the transcript of the interview with Minister Thistlethwaite detailing Australia’s response:

 

Australia has announced a $5 million humanitarian assistance package for Nepal. Can you explain exactly how quickly this assistance will reach people on the ground?

Yes. Firstly, I offer our thoughts and prayers to Australia’s Nepalese diaspora. We know how distressing this situation is.

We have offered $5 million in humanitarian assistance. That includes $2 million to the World Food Programme. That will ensure that food and water supplies can get to affected areas as quickly as possible.

We’ve also provided another $2 million to the Emergency Action Alliance, which includes 15 Australian NGOs, such as Oxfam and others. They will provide blankets, hygiene supplies, medical equipment, and other essential items for people who need them.

And a further $1 million will go to other NGOs that provide crisis support as well.

Our Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, spoke to the Nepalese Foreign Minister yesterday to offer our condolences, but also our support. We stand ready to support Nepal in any way we can.

 

At least 39 Australians are now reported missing. What is the Australian Government doing directly to help locate them, and is the Government considering deploying additional specialist search and rescue teams to Nepal?

Yes. Unfortunately, that number has now risen to 41 Australians who are unaccounted for.

Our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials are on the ground in Kathmandu, working as hard as they possibly can to locate those Australians who are missing, and we remain hopeful that they will be recovered.

We’ve sent eight staff to the region. They left last night. Four are expert staff who are part of the response team and can provide critical humanitarian support. They are trained to provide that support, and they will work with the Nepalese emergency bureau and disaster management authorities on that task.

We’ve also sent four additional consular staff to the region to help locate Australians.

Obviously, as you know, it’s very difficult at the moment, with roads blocked, telecommunications infrastructure disrupted, and power outages as well.

So, we’re doing the best we can in this difficult situation. We’ve sent eight staff, and they’re on their way there now. They will land in Kathmandu this afternoon and be ready to assist.

 

The floods have destroyed roads, bridges, homes, and critical infrastructure. Once the immediate search-and-rescue operation ends, is the Australian Government prepared to provide longer-term assistance and support to Nepal?

At the moment, obviously, the priority is the rescue and recovery operation, and that remains our most pressing issue. We’re providing support for that.

When the 2015 earthquake hit Nepal, Australia provided more than $20 million in assistance, and we’ve said that we stand ready to provide further support as required.

Obviously, at this stage, it’s early days, and the focus is on rescue and recovery. But no doubt, after the cleanup operation is over, there will be an assessment of the infrastructure in particular.

Around 100,000 homes have been destroyed. That’s an incredible burden on the lives of the Nepalese people. So, we’ll be ready to assist in any way we can.

 

This disaster appears to have originated upstream, near the Nepal-Tibet border, and it has exposed how vulnerable Himalayan communities are. What role can Australia play in helping Nepal improve its early-warning systems, as well as its climate resilience?

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. As you know, there have been other landslides in Nepal in the past, and obviously, we don’t know the reason for this particular natural disaster. But there will be an assessment after the event.

There have been comments about the effects that climate change is having on alpine environments like the Himalayas, and Australia wants to be part of the international community that is working to understand the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities like those in Nepal and the surrounding region.

We’ll work with the Nepalese authorities. We’re also part of an international coalition of countries that are taking stronger action on climate change to reduce our carbon emissions, boost renewable energy, and hopefully, over time, reverse some of the devastating impacts that climate change has had on the environment.

 

Lastly, do you have any message for the Nepalese diaspora in Australia, particularly those who have lost family members or have someone gone missing?

We offer our deepest sympathies and condolences.

Last night, I attended a vigil service at Strathfield with Sally Sitou, the Member for Reid, where I expressed, on behalf of the Australian Government, our heartfelt sympathies and support.

There’s a lot of distress and anxiety in the Nepalese community at the moment, and we completely understand that.

We want you to know that you are not alone. You are proud Australians, and as Australians, we stand united with you.

We offer you our love and support. Please feel free to reach out to a fellow Australian, your local Member of Parliament, or our Government. We stand ready to assist you.