Number of Australians missing in Nepal floods climbs as Greens criticise Labor’s aid package
Penny Wong has confirmed the number of Australians missing in the devastating Nepal floods has increased from 35 to 39 and announced a $5m support package. “We understand at least 39 Australians are among those reported missing. Australian officials are working urgently to confirm their welfare and provide assistance to those affected,” Wong said in a statement on Friday morning. Anthony Albanese said Australia was sending crisis and humanitarian response specialists to the region to help. “We’re also providing humanitarian assistance including food, emergency shelter and medical support,” the prime minister said in a post to social media on Friday morning. “Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected as we urgently work to confirm the welfare of missing Australians.” More than 1,400 people remain missing, and 392 have been confirmed as killed after massive flash floods and landslides tore through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river basins on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Nepal’s disaster agency said 910 people were unaccounted for, including at least 517 foreigners. Across the border with Tibet, China said 558 people – including 260 foreigners – were missing. Together, the total missing on both sides of the border is 1,468. Those figures are likely to fluctuate – both up and down – in coming days, as rescue efforts continue, and a clearer picture of the devastation emerges. Speaking on ABC radio, Wong said the four additional Australians missing had been travelling separately to the Himalayan Glacier Adventures tour and Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travel group. She said a further increase in the number of Australians missing was an “unfortunate possibility”.
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“I know this is an extremely distressing time for those who have loved ones unaccounted for and we are thinking of them,” she said. In her earlier statement, Wong also said the government was “rapidly mobilising consular and humanitarian support in response to the catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border, including through a $5 million assistance package for affected communities”. She said the government would send an initial team of three humanitarian response specialists “within the next 48 hours’” to help 20 Australian staff already on the ground.
“The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery.” The support package received bipartisan support on Friday morning, with both the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, and Coalition MP Ted O’Brien saying they supported the move. But David Shoebridge, the Greens’ spokesperson on foreign affairs, told RN Breakfast earlier the Australian commitment of $5m for affected communities in Nepal “won’t come close to touching the sides” of the calamity. Shoebridge said the Greens were devastated by the sheer disaster in the region, calling it a genuine global tragedy. “I think Australia needs to step up and really commit to helping rebuild,” he told RN. “This is a country with minimal spare resources. Life is tough in Nepal at most times, but I don’t think $5m comes close to meeting the scale.” Of the $5m Wong said $2m would go to the World Food Programme, $2m to Australian NGOs through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership “to provide support such as emergency shelter, hygiene kits, blankets, medical support and psychosocial support”, and $1m to the Emergency Action Alliance to support locally-led recovery. “Australians wishing to donate should visit the Emergency Action Alliance webpage,” Wong said. Dr Soniya Rijal, a Nepali postdoctoral research associate at the University of Sydney, has expertise on disaster management and community response. She said it was impossible, at this early stage, to know how many people had been impacted by the disaster: “it’s possible the impact could be even more devastating than the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015”. “I’ve heard people were notifying neighbours to leave before the flooding hit but, because there was no rain leading to the flash floods, many of these warnings weren’t taken seriously. What makes this disaster unusual is that it was so sudden, coming without warning.” Rijal said local knowledge would be critical in finding and rescuing survivors safely. “Nepal is a very collective society and locals will have a better idea of how to locate missing people than those without local knowledge.” King Charles has said he and Queen Camilla were “heartbroken” by the devastating flooding. “We send our most profound sympathy to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones and we feel deeply for the many families awaiting anxiously the news of friends and relations,” he said in a statement. “Our hearts go out also to the families of all the police and armed forces personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their courageous duty in the service of others.” Overnight, former Australian race discrimination commissioner Chin Tan was among members of Nepalese community who gathered at the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre to grieve the disaster.
Families gathered for prayers and held a minute’s silence for those lost to the floods, laying candles beside a hand-crafted display of dyed rice reading “pray for Nepal”. “Today, all Australians are Nepalis, because our grief is yours,” Tan said. The diaspora was “united in grief, hope and prayer”, the secretary of the centre, Sudhir Shakya, told the event, held north-west of Melbourne. “Behind every number is a person – a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a relative, a friend, and someone deeply loved,” he said. Australia’s Nepali diaspora - more than 200,000 people across the country - are planning a series of vigils in coming days. Governments, councils, NGOs, and community organisations have led an outpouring of condolences. Merri-Bek City Council in Melbourne’s northern suburbs is home to the largest Nepali community in Victoria. “Council extends its deepest sympathies to the families, friends and communities of the Australians who have lost their lives, and to everyone affected by this tragic event,” the council said in a statement. “We also acknowledge the profound impact on people across our community with connections to Nepal … and people who are worried about family, friends and loved ones.” Australians in need of emergency consular assistance have been advised to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s consular emergency centre on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas). – with AAP