‘Ignored’: Today host tears up on live TV

Today host Sarah Abo became overwhelmed with emotion on this morning’s show after interviewing a Syrian man involved rescue efforts after two catastrophic earthquakes devastated the region.

The disaster has now claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people, with the death toll expected to keep rising.

The Syrian-born journalist, who joined the hosting desk only a few weeks ago, led the interview with Ismail Alabdullah – a member of a volunteer organisation known as The White Helmets.

“I know this has been incredibly difficult for you and your insight into this has been quite remarkable for me,” Today co-host Karl Stefanovic said at the opening of the segment.

At the close of the interview, the camera panned back to the two co-hosts as Abo looked down the camera lens with tears welling in her eyes.

“It’s like they feel like they’re being ignored,” she said.

“You’ve got people there who are so desperate and it’s as though for years they feel as though they haven’t been given the attention that they deserve,”

Stefanovic reached across the desk and placed a hand on his co-hosts arm to support her through the final seconds of the segment.

“And now we are seeing them so desperate and he said it’s taken days for aid to reach them,” Abo continued.

“It’s not nearly enough. They need so much more. What do you do when a region’s divided by war … that is so difficult.”

Stefanovic said Australians are feeling for the Turkish and Syrian people who have been impacted by the horrific disaster and added it must be particularly tough for Abo.

“I feel you. I think the whole country does and the world does,” he said.

“It’s tough to watch and you have such an intimate knowledge of it.

“It’s OK,” he said quietly to his co-host as the program cut to an ad break.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday a team of 72 Australian personnel would be on the ground in Turkey by the end of the week to help local authorities in rescue and recovery efforts.

“These urban search and rescue specialists are highly trained to locate, deliver medical assistance to and remove victims who have been trapped or impacted by a structural collapse,” he said.