Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last time I rose for a constituency statement, I raised the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and Darfur and I'm afraid I have to do so again because, despite hopes the situation would improve, the situation has gotten much, much worse. Since I last spoke in the House, the city of El Fasher has fallen to the RSF, and there are reports of the most unspeakable humanitarian crisis unfolding.

Since this dispute began in 2023, conservatively 150,000 people have been killed. It is highly likely to be a much bigger number than that. The number of people currently suffering acute hunger is akin to the population of our country. Around 25 million people are estimated to be undergoing acute hunger. Recently, with the fall of El Fasher, 65,000 people fled the city immediately. Tens of thousands remain trapped in El Fasher with no food, very little water and no medical assistance. Before the final assault, the city held approximately 260,000 residents; now it's much fewer.

The world is replete with humanitarian crises. Some are getting a lot of attention and they deserve it, but this crisis deserves more attention. I'm very grateful to the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the member for Kingsford Smith and Assistant Minister Julian Hill, who recently met with my constituents who are representatives of the Zaghawa union, who I am in regular contact with, who have lost contact with relatives and now do not know if their brothers, sisters and cousins are alive or dead. Tragically, in far too many instances, they are almost certainly dead—but they are unable to make contact.

I'm grateful to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and the member for Cowan, Minister Anne Aly, for the statement she issued recently, and the work of the foreign minister, who updated our Labor caucus on this matter yesterday. This is a humanitarian crisis of the most unspeakable nature. I'm glad that our country, which is a long way away with limited ability to influence events in North Africa, is doing what it can. But given the number of my constituents who have come to Australia and fled Sudan, who look at this crisis and weep and wonder and fear for the prospects of their family who they left behind, it is right that this parliament spends a few minutes focusing on this crisis, on this most grievous humanitarian disaster, which is unfurling before the eyes of the world and is not in my view getting enough attention from the world. Australia is doing its small bit but it is time to focus on the crisis in Sudan.