Ministerial Statement

Turkiye-Syria Earthquake

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:41): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The people of South Australia have been shocked and saddened by the news and images coming from Turkiye and Syria in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in the region. On Monday 6 February at 4.17am local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep. A second earthquake of similar magnitude occurred in Turkiye at 1.24pm local time on the same day. This location is 80 kilometres north of the first earthquake. At least 100 aftershocks have been recorded in the affected provinces.

With both earthquakes striking near the Turkish-Syrian border, impacts in both nations are severe and widespread. Millions of people across the region felt the earthquake beyond Turkiye and Syria, including in Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus and Egypt. The raw power of these twin earthquakes would no doubt cause significant devastation to most places on Earth. But when this destructive force is unleashed on a region of the world like north-west Syria, a region where some 4.1 million people already depend on humanitarian assistance today, the result is a toll on human life that is almost too much to contemplate.

Thousands of homes are likely to have been destroyed by the earthquakes, displacing families and exposing them to the elements. This earthquake compounded upon tragedies already affecting Syrian communities at this time, with an ongoing cholera outbreak and harsh winter events, including heavy rain and snow over the weekend, already affecting the displaced and the vulnerable in the territory. The majority of people in this region dependent on humanitarian assistance are women and children. The combined death toll from the earthquake is already more than 7,800 people, with time running out for rescuers working against harsh winter conditions and time.

The scale of the impact in Syria is still emerging, due to information flow constraints, chronic telecommunication disruptions, power shortages and road closures. The World Health Organization estimates the death toll could increase beyond 20,000 people.

In the face of this suffering, the South Australian government will contribute $200,000 to UNICEF Australia, toward their humanitarian relief effort to get much-needed support to families and children. I would encourage all South Australians who are in a position to contribute to UNICEF Australia's public appeal, or to a similar trusted international provider of humanitarian support and assistance, to do so. In addition to financial support, South Australia also stands ready to send material support to the region, including emergency services personnel if called upon.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the positive impact the Turkish and Syrian communities have in our multicultural South Australia. I have no doubt people in these communities will have connections to people affected by the earthquakes, and I, like all South Australians, have them in my thoughts at this time. I encourage all South Australians to rally around these communities within our state, providing comfort and support that they may desperately need.