The recent Australian Bush Fires have burned just over 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land across the country of Australia. To put that in perspective, the Amazon Fires of 2019 burned around 900,000 hectares (2 million acres).

The events occurring in Australia are unprecedented, nothing of this magnitude has occurred in recent memory. This event is not simply a national catastrophe but a global one. What is at stake is the not only the lives of millions of Australians but one of the most unique ecological systems in the world. With roughly 500,000 animals already having perished and many more surely to follow, the need to act has long since passed. I am asking the United States government to provide physical, mass aid to Australia in their time of need.