ⓘ Welcome to the new APSC.gov.au. We're currently in beta and appreciate your patience. Send us your feedback

Helping Australians during international crises

Every day, at any hour ꟷ in Australia and across more than 170 international locations ꟷ Foreign Affairs and Trade officers are committed to keeping Australians safe. When a crisis strikes, officers move quickly to deliver vital support to Australians in need and their families back home.

Highly trained officers from DFAT’s Crisis Response Team are deployed to deliver essential humanitarian, consular, and logistical assistance during emergencies. This complex and challenging work directly connects DFAT officers to the Australian public in unique and rewarding ways.

 

A photograph of DFAT officer Kameleh Safi looking at maps on computer screens as part of her work assisting Australians to depart a conflict zone.

DFAT policy officer Kameleh Safi provided emergency travel advice in language to assist Australians seeking to depart the Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025.
Image: Foreign Affairs and Trade

Working together

In 2024 ꟷ 25, the DFAT Crisis Centre was activated 3 times, assisting 4,351 Australians and 68 foreign nationals to safely leave crisis situations in Lebanon, Vanuatu, Israel, and Iran. The centre coordinates Australia's whole-of-government emergency responses.

During escalating violence in the Middle East in October 2024, DFAT supported hundreds of distressed Australians seeking to leave Lebanon. Officers assisted families through Beirut Airport onto facilitated flights and gave clear instructions for their arrival in Cyprus and onward travel to Australia. In addition to supporting Australians on the ground, DFAT worked with the Australian Embassy in Lebanon and with international partners to coordinate flight planning and confirm ground clearances and flight manifests.

In December 2024, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Vanuatu caused widespread damage and overwhelmed local health services. A specialist Australian Medical Assistance Team was deployed to Port Vila to provide emergency care, support local clinicians and stabilise essential services. A DFAT Crisis Response Team was deployed to support the consular and humanitarian effort on the ground. The response also involved officers from the Australian Defence Force, Australian Border Force, Home Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency.

Conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025 left more than 1,000 Australians trapped in an unpredictable conflict zone with no commercial flight options and airspace closed, while their families in Australia struggled to contact them. DFAT’s Emergency Call Unit assisted 7,651 Australian citizens during this challenging time, providing reassurance and practical advice in primary languages. Officers with relevant language skills and regional knowledge communicated emergency travel advice and helped with complex visa cases.

Benefits for the community

Major international crises are just one aspect of DFAT’s extensive crisis response work. In 2024ꟷ25, more than 26,000 cases involved Australians needing consular assistance or crisis support. DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre handled over 61,500 calls for assistance, an average of 169 calls per day. DFAT issues and replaces Australian passports, including those that are lost or stolen.

Smartraveller provides travel advice on over 175 destinations, including advice on safety and security, health risks, local laws, travel insurance and visas. In 2024 ꟷ 25 the Smartraveller website was viewed more than 30.4 million times, had more than 580,000 email subscribers, and over 410,000 people followed Smartraveller on social media.

With a network of overseas posts and more than 6,000 staff, DFAT collaborates with international partners to manage Australia’s diplomatic, trade and consular priorities. The department’s crisis response teams step outside of their daily work and family responsibilities during a crisis to assist Australians in need.

DFAT consistently ranks highly in the Survey of Trust in Australian public services, demonstrating a strong commitment to delivering for Australians at home and overseas.

Find out more

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (n.d.) Consular State of Play, Smartraveller website, accessed 14 August 2025.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (n.d.) Australia in the World ꟷ 2025 Snapshot, DFAT website, accessed 14 August 2025.

Australian Public Service Commission (2025) Trust in Australian public services 2025 annual report, APSC website, accessed 15 October 2025.

Was this page helpful?

Acknowledgement of Country

The APSC acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.