Question time has begun for the week with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressing the chamber to speak about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nepal following the devastating flooding which struck the region on August 26.
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“What we saw from afar was breathtaking in its horror, how it must have been to actually be there, suddenly tiny in the face of cataclysmic forces, is barely imaginable,” Albanese told parliament.
“Consider for just a moment the noise, the fury, the terror. While the scale was vast, the impact has been all too recognisably human. Many hundreds are dead; thousands are still missing.”
Albanese confirmed 36 Australians remain unaccounted for, and that 49 Australian support workers had been deployed to the region.
“On Friday, I spoke on the phone with the prime minister of Nepal, Balendra Shah. On behalf of Australia, I express my deepest condolences to all Nepali people affected by this disaster. Australia stands ready to provide additional support,” Albanese said.
Albanese also acknowledged the hurt felt by the Australian Nepali community.