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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-08 Daily Xml
Contents
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Motions

Turkiye-Syria Earthquake

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (16:15): I move:

That this House—

(a) notes with concern the severe earthquake that has occurred in Turkiye and Syria, and the huge loss of life and injury suffered by people living in affected regions;

(b) notes with concern the high level of destruction that these earthquakes will have caused to people’s homes and livelihoods;

(c) recognises the enormous emotional toll that will be felt by South Australians who originate from Turkiye and Syria, especially those who have relatives and friends living in affected regions;

(d) stands with our Turkish, Syrian, Kurdish and other communities in South Australia with ties to the regions; and

(e) calls on the federal government to provide urgent humanitarian relief through DFAT and relevant aid organisations as soon as possible.

The South Australian government extends its deepest condolences to all those affected by the devastating earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkiye and neighbouring countries. In the early hours of Monday 6 February local time, a severe 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck 33 kilometres from Gaziantep, a major city and Turkish provincial capital. It hit 17.9 kilometres deep. At least 20 aftershocks followed, the strongest measuring 6.7. The earthquake also heavily impacted north-west Syria, a region where 4.1 million people depend on humanitarian assistance today—the majority of whom are women and children.

At this time, Syrian communities were simultaneously hit with an ongoing cholera outbreak and harsh winter events including heavy rain and snow over the weekend. A second earthquake, also magnitude 7.8, occurred at Elbistan, Kahramanmaras in Turkiye at 13:24 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. Turkiye's disaster and emergency management authority said at least 2,921 people were confirmed dead and more than 15,800 people injured in Turkiye.

The scale of the impact in Syria is still emerging, due to information flow constraints, chronic telecommunications disruptions, power shortages and road closures. Nearly 2,000 people have died in Syria and about 3½ thousand are injured, according to the Syrian government and rescue workers. However, very clearly today, we have been warned by the World Health Organization that the death toll could increase as much as eightfold. This is something that we must prepare ourselves for, because this is an incredibly challenging natural disaster and the damage is immense.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that 45 nations have offered assistance with search and rescue efforts. The Turkish Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency has advised access to the affected areas is being hampered by the damage to roads and collapsed buildings, the severe weather, and the traffic from citizens trying to leave the affected areas. Buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria's cities of Aleppo and Hama to Diyarbakir in Turkiye, more than 330 kilometres to the north-east. Nearly 900 buildings were destroyed at the centre of these earthquakes, including a hospital in the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskanderoun. A total of 2,800 search and rescue teams have been deployed in the disaster-stricken areas.

The quake has also heavily damaged famous landmarks. At a historic castle perched atop a hill in the centre of the city of Gaziantep, parts of the fortress walls and watchtowers were levelled and other parts heavily damaged, as shown by images from the city.

While we know that Turkiye sits along major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes, it has been more than 20 years since it has experienced such a powerful earthquake. The last was in 1999, and killed 18,000 people.

In Syria entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble. In Damascus buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear. The earthquake was also felt in Lebanon, with the quake jolting residents there from their beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove their cars away from buildings. Recovery continues, but it is challenging because parts of the Middle East are experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.

I have spent time reaching out to leaders in the affected community, and I commit that the state government will work with our affected Turkish, Syrian and Kurdish communities. On behalf of the state government, we express our deep condolences to South Australians who have relatives and friends killed, injured or affected by these devastating earthquakes.

Today the Australian government has come out with its initial response of $10 million that will be supported through UNICEF and the International Red Cross Fund to those affected areas. Our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced that 72 search and rescue personnel from Australia will also attend and, just before, our Premier, Peter Malinauskas, announced that the South Australian government would donate $200,000 to UNICEF for families and children in need. He also emphasised that South Australia stands ready to send material support and experts in rescue and emergency if required.

When I looked at the number of people in South Australia who were born in these areas I found it was more than 3,000 people. They have made South Australia their home, but they are still incredibly connected to extended family and friends back in those areas.

If we just take a moment and think of all the things we have achieved—in technology, communication and travel—yet we are still subject to natural disasters; we cannot control everything. We had a plague, we had COVID-19, and we are still fighting that battle. As leaders in our state we must reflect—as leaders throughout the world must also reflect—that we have to be prepared at all times to stand up and help when help is needed.

I spoke to the leaders of these communities. I spoke to Tanya Kaplan, the President of the Turkish Association of South Australia. Her niece has also spoken on radio and TV. This is real. There are people in South Australia who have lost loved ones or who do not know if their loved ones are safe. It is those people we are thinking of today.

We know that recovery efforts take time, and the impact on the economies of these nations is immense. We know that many of those countries have faced war in recent times and have not recovered. I have grave concerns for their wellbeing in the future.

We have already seen 45 nations put forward rescue support, put forward money towards recovery. Maybe this is just what the world needs to focus on, to see the good in the world: when people need our help, we respond.

To the leaders in our community—our Turkish leaders, our Syrian leaders and our Kurdish leaders—we are thinking of you. In this time of need, the South Australian government has committed $200,000 to UNICEF. We know that help will be needed for some time, with the clean-up, with hospitals destroyed, schools destroyed and a cut to power and water. These are important things to build back. We know that they are already fighting terrible diseases that often come in crowded facilities.

It is devastating news that we heard about these earthquakes. We have responded. Most importantly, this motion is about talking to the people who need our help and whose loved ones are suffering. We want them to know that we are thinking of them and we have acted. On behalf of the South Australian government, I am very proud that we spoke to this motion, and I believe that the house will have support across the chamber. This has been a shock, but we are here to support as much as we can.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:25): The motion before the house deals with the extraordinary devastation and trauma left for communities living in regions within Turkiye and Syria as a result of the earthquake that took place on 6 February this year, just two days ago, in the early hours of the morning.

The motion notes not just that devastation but, indeed, the huge loss of life and injury, the high level of destruction to homes and livelihoods and the enormous emotional toll that will be felt not just in Turkiye and Syria but across the world including here, in the thousands of households in South Australia, with families originating from Turkiye and Syria, families of Turkish and Syrian heritage and Kurdish heritage as well. Indeed, the motion seeks the support of the house that we stand with those Turkish, Syrian, Kurdish and other communities who are affected deeply by this natural disaster.

As Deputy Leader of the Opposition, this is a motion that the Liberal Party gives its wholehearted support to. We will support those efforts and endeavours to deal with the consequences of this earthquake, which undoubtedly will not just deal with the immediate aftermath where there is an involvement from Australia that is necessary as part of our role as good global citizens but indeed in due course it will no doubt have a humanitarian consequence as well that is likely to involve a federal government response potentially, including people coming to Australia. I am sure that, should that be the case, South Australia as a state and as a community, indeed, government departments, will be ready to respond to welcome people here as they seek to rebuild their lives.

The scale of the devastation is significant. It is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the region. It was not just an earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale—which is dramatic in any terms, especially in these areas—but there were 125 aftershocks or more, each of them measuring four or more on the Richter scale, any one of which would have been considered quite devastating in other contexts.

There are more than 7,800 known deaths, although as has been mentioned, the World Health Organization has warned that that is likely to increase dramatically, potentially by tens of thousands. There are tens of thousands of injuries—at least 35,000, and likely to grow. Thirteen million people are impacted, whether through injury, loss of life, displacement or other significant impacts. Nearly 6,000 buildings have been demolished that we know of. It is dramatic, and our hearts go out to individuals, families and communities.

The federal government has today announced a range of measures, including financial support through UNICEF and also personnel to assist with search and rescue. That has been welcomed by the Liberal Party at a federal level. I quote from the shadow minister for foreign affairs federally, the Hon. Simon Birmingham, who has identified:

There is strong and bipartisan support for Australia's assistance to help people in Turkiye and Syria suffering as a result of the devastating earthquakes. Additional support and details released today demonstrate the typically practical and humanitarian nature of Australian assistance.

I note that when the South Australian government has been called upon in the past to provide support for families impacted by devastation, in this case natural disaster—the last two comparable events, although comparable is probably the wrong word to use, were the evacuation of so many people from Ukraine after Russia's invasion and so many people from Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States—the people who came to South Australia were welcomed. They were given practical support. I was education minister and I know that, particularly in our TAFE system with language programs, in schools such as Thebarton Senior College and other schools they were also given support and South Australia will stand ready.

Horrifying images are coming to light highlighting the scale of the damage. The numbers I have talked about are very difficult to conceptualise. The images bring home some of that scale—buildings collapsing and roads being destroyed. Rescue and recovery efforts are extremely challenging and of course we are still within that first 72 hours after a natural disaster, which is a critical time for finding survivors. Frontline emergency personnel, government officials and NGO volunteers are working under freezing conditions in the local area. Of course, the consequences will not just be physical; there will be significant trauma, significant mental health impacts and reflected mental health impacts.

The economic impacts will, of course, be significant. They will need to rebuild and repair damaged infrastructure. Indeed, I also note that heavy snowstorms have recently hit parts of Syria and Turkiye. Today, already cold temperatures are expected to plummet to several degrees below zero.

Thank you to all those in the community who have already offered their support to people in our Kurdish, Syrian and Turkish communities in South Australia. It is so important that that support be offered consistently. There is a fundraising effort through UNICEF that is available to members of the South Australian community who are looking at these images and wondering how they can help. A financial donation is not a bad place to start through the UNICEF Australian humanitarian appeal.

To the leaders of these communities, the opposition extends the wholehearted support offered by the government. This house stands together in support of your communities at this difficult time. Our thoughts and sympathy are with all those impacted and all those in the South Australian community who potentially are having some of the worst days of their lives at the moment fearing for loved ones and friends in Turkiye and Syria who they may not have heard from. We wish you the best. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (16:32): I would like to add a contribution to the house's motion moved by the Hon. Zoe Bettison to show our heartfelt support, courage and understanding to the people of Turkiye and Syria after this devastating series of events that have happened this week.

The collective grief and the collective trauma that is happening in those communities, many who already live with a background of trauma and grief, is for most of us, I would say, unfathomable and almost impossible to understand. Everybody suffers grief and loss, but this community is going through something that is so devastating it is beyond words.

Today, I hosted UNICEF members of staff and some of their youth ambassadors as they tabled a report that looks to the future from a collective lens of young people. It was filled with hope and positivity but, while they were talking about this really important work as young ambassadors for hope and collective advocacy, the timing has been fortuitous.

We were able to hear directly from the UNICEF team regarding the work that is happening on the ground already by UNICEF as it pertains to children and young people. I thought it was opportune to place on record some of that important work that UNICEF is doing on the ground against the background as well of already our Premier having been proactive and contributing $200,000 to the UNICEF efforts, as announced today.

UNICEF has had permanent teams located in both Turkiye and Syria for more than four decades. They are currently assessing the immediate needs of children and their families following these devastating events. As in most disasters, the initial work will be in the frontline as first responder work. Both countries are currently in the depths of winter. In those freezing temperatures, there is some medical hope that lower temperatures can provide some assistance to people who are suffering trauma, and we know from footage that we have seen in the past few hours that people who are working in the snow to recover survivors will never give up hope. We will do all we can to send strength to all people working to rescue people in those countries.

It is estimated that up to 1.4 million children could be at risk. It is not lost on me that that is almost the entire population of metropolitan South Australia; it is a huge number. The total number of people who could be at risk is up to 23 million people who will suffer some consequences and, again, that is nearly the entire population of our country. To put that in some perspective, I do not know whether the words to describe it are 'humbling' or 'just completely crushing' to think about the impact of this in those communities. It is horrifying. The death toll will continue to rise. There will be people who will succumb to their injuries and there will be more people who will be found deceased.

The UNICEF statistics estimate that there were already 6½ million children at risk from the prolonged 12-year war in Syria and the devastation of this earthquake has just escalated that need that already existed for more than 90 per cent of the country who are living in poverty. Every day we talk here about issues that we are facing, that we are grappling with here in Australia. I just ask for one second for you to please turn your mind to what is going on in these countries of Syria and Turkiye and, if you can spare any money at all, please donate some money. UNICEF is a great place to start as they target young people and children.

I am very proud that we have contributed already. I don't want to use the phrase 'a heart as big as Phar Lap' but we have a Premier who has a pretty decent heart on him and he was very quick to come out and offer respite, support, accommodation and love to the people of Ukraine. We are doing so to hundreds of people who have come to our country, to our state, from Ukraine, some of whom I have met and who are safe. The Premier has taken no time at all to make a decision to start to contribute towards global wellbeing and humanity.

The work that UNICEF will undertake will be complex and difficult but, with expert, large-scale emergency responses built over 75 years of their work, UNICEF is in a tremendous position to navigate the challenges. Again, I reiterate that while the loss of one life is a tragedy, what has happened in Syria and Turkiye is immeasurable. Our hearts are very much with all people, and I encourage people to give as much as they can. More than ever, we have to work together to show the world the level at which we can demonstrate humanity. I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (16:40): I would like to thank all the members for their contributions. Obviously, we share across the chamber the support of this motion. For me, when I reflect on the contributions, there is an element of shock that we all have for this natural disaster, but what it does remind us of is the shared humanity, which we all share, whether we live in Australia or overseas.

I know in the next few days there will be focus on the miracles, including the young child, still with her umbilical cord attached, who was rescued this morning. She is in hospital now, receiving treatment, but she will not have a mother because her mother was killed in the earthquake. A particularly clear image for me was a father holding the hand of his teenage daughter who was crushed under concrete in her bed. His daughter was just a little bit older than my own son, and I can imagine what that is like, that as a parent you are right there but you are not able to save your child.

We will see these images, and these images will shock us, but we must remember to keep in our thoughts and our prayers the people who are suffering in Turkiye and Syria and to think of community here. As I ask for support for this motion, we can reflect that Australia has responded. South Australia has responded. We ask South Australians, if they wish to contribute, to contribute to UNICEF. I ask for support for the motion.

Motion carried.

Mr ODENWALDER: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

A quorum having been formed:

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