- The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
- Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for Emergency Management
Australia has deployed a five person Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) and a five person response team from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assist response and recovery efforts in Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.
The natural disaster has now claimed over 3,000 lives, with over 4,500 injured. This toll is expected to rise further. Myanmar's health system is under immense pressure with extensive damage to hospitals and health centres, and demand for healthcare is far exceeding the system's ability to respond.
The AUSMAT team will help to coordinate the emergency medical response and will work closely with our Australia Assists Rapid Response Team, which has already been mobilised to help coordinate the international relief effort.
These deployments build on the previous support Australia has announced. That support will deliver life-saving assistance through the International Committee of the Red Cross and Australian NGOs and their local partners, provide relief supplies and assist the work of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management.
Australia does not provide any direct funding to the military regime and our humanitarian support to Myanmar is provided through thoroughly vetted international and local partners. We take proactive steps to ensure our assistance does not legitimise the military regime in Myanmar.
Australia welcomes recent commitments to temporary, partial ceasefires. We call on the regime to continue to de-escalate the conflict and for all parties to implement, extend and broaden these ceasefire measures. It is critical that all parties work to provide a safe environment for the timely delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Myanmar.
