On 12 May, Prime Minister of Australia John Howard announced that although there had not been any formal requests for assistance from the Government of East Timor, Australian forces were standing by in readiness to provide assistance, with the amphibious transport ships HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Manoora moving to northern waters in preparation.
5月12日，澳大利亚总理约翰·霍华德宣布，虽然东帝汶政府没有正式要求，但澳大利亚政府正在准备提供援助，两栖运输船HMAS Kanimbla和HMAS Manoora正准备移动到北方水域。