David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to again express my deep sorrow and unwavering solidarity with the Sudanese Australian community. Across this country, people are watching in anguish as their loved ones suffer through an unspeakable conflict. I'm concerned that the response of the international community does not match the devastating scale of the crisis. This week, reports from el-Fasher suggest that more than 32,000 people have been killed in that city alone. Across Sudan, the death toll is now estimated at over 150,000 people.

I want to acknowledge the many Sudanese Australians whose advocacy and courage have kept this crisis from slipping entirely from public view. You have shown moral clarity in seeking support for more to be done to support people in Sudan. The conflict is not just a war; it risks becoming a genocide, if it has not become one already, with widespread reports of ethnic cleansing, systemic rape and mass starvation. Western governments, including those of our allies, have been accused of moral cowardice while atrocities mount. Whether or not one accepts that claim, it is clear that economic and strategic interests are outweighing human lives.

This chamber has shown solidarity before, but symbolic gestures are not enough. I recognise the government's action in announcing $10 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the crisis, but I call on the government to do more in supporting the Sudanese community here in Australia and in Sudan.