The federal government will provide a safe house to a mother and her three-year-old Australian child at risk of being brutally mutilated overseas, according to the child's uncle. 
It was revealed on Sunday that African-Australian toddler Fatoumata Binta Conteh had been forced into hiding with her mother in Sierra Leone after repeated attempts to force her mother to hand her over to undergo female genital mutilation.
Fatoumata Diarriou Bah fled her husband's relatives in Guinea and the pair have been in hiding. Ms Bah appealed to the federal government for help after relatives threatened they were coming for her daughter.
A government spokesman said officials had contacted Ms Bah and were providing consular assistance, but would not give any details. However, Ms Bah's brother Ibrahima Bah, who lives in China, said his sister and niece had been offered emergency accommodation by the Australian government.
"She is calling for help because she is in need and she still has to wait two more days," he said. "They cannot wait. There are so many threats for the baby. Her husband's people every day say they are coming. She is so very worried and scared."
The child has never been to Australia but is a citizen by descent. Her father, an African-Australian, was last known to be living in Adelaide. Ms Bah, herself a victim of female genital mutilation, does not hold Australian citizenship.
Advocates fighting female genital mutilation said Australia must do everything in its power to help the pair, with Melbourne group No FGM Australia rallying support locally. Co-founder Paula Ferrari said Fatoumata Binta was protected by Australian law and suggested that her mother could seek asylum because she had suffered persecution based on her gender.
DFAT's Consular Services Charter states that advice and support can be provided to Australians overseas in a wide range of cases and that assistance depends on individual circumstances.