Nauru calls for responsibility from Australian Government as hunger strike worsens
As the hunger strike in Nauru escalates, Nauru’s Minister for Finance, Kinza Clodumar, has condemned the Australian
Government’s inaction and dismissal of its responsibility to asylum seekers.
In a statement today, Kinza Clodumar said comments made by the Australian Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone,
that asylum seekers on Nauru who refused to eat, “were not the responsibility of the Australian Government,” contravene
the M.O.U. Australia made with Nauru regarding its duty of care to asylum seekers.
“The M.O.U. signed when Nauru first accepted asylum seekers, underlines Australia’s responsibility to ensure the
day-to-day management of asylum seeker facilities including medical treatment and further clarifies that, “health and
medical services, personnel, supplies and equipment will be provided by Australia at the facilities. Where medical cases
cannot be treated at the facilities, Australia may seek the assistance of Nauru’s Health Services”.
The Acting Director of Medical Services in Nauru, Dr. Kieren Keke, has reported to the Nauru Government that staff have
done everything possible to coordinate the treatment of asylum seekers with the IOM but that services face being
overstretched as the situation gets out of control.
According to Dr. Keke, the imminent pressure on Nauru’s single hospital facility presented by the 35 hunger striking
asylum seekers, represents a 140% rise in occupancy.
Dr. Keke said as “the needs of the hunger strikers begins to impact more on the delivery of healthcare to Nauruans, then
we will be left with no other choice but to rethink our approach to providing care to the hunger strikers. This will of
course lead to significant negative consequences and...is something I dearly wish to avoid”.
The Minister for Finance, Kinza Clodumar, claims that the Australian Government should take a more sympathetic and
compassionate approach to the asylum seekers.
“The Australian Government cannot continue to ignore the plight of these forgotten people. It must act now to recognise
its M.O.U. with Nauru as well as its humanitarian obligation by providing adequate care and treatment for the hunger
striking asylum seekers”.