Written Answers. - Overseas Aid.
John Connor
Question:
27
Mr. Connor
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if the Government will fund humanitarian aid to victims of civil war and internal insurgency in Sudan, Somalia and Liberia; if he will make a statement on the status and progress of our bilateral aid programme in Sudan; and if it has been put in difficulty by civil unrest in that country.
Nora Owen
Question:
43
Mrs. Owen
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if the Government will agree to contribute humanitarian aid to victims of civil war in Sudan; and whether the civil war in that country has any adverse effect on our bilateral aid programme in Sudan.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 43 together.
The Government are greatly concerned about the difficulties facing all the countries mentioned — Sudan, Somalia and Liberia which are amongst the poorest in Sub-Saharan Africa. They have already provided substantial assistance as I shall indicate and are keeping the situation under review.
In Sudan, the situation is particularly bleak and an estimated eight million people at least are at risk from famine following failed harvests in 1989 and 1990, the effects of which have been compounded by civil war. The Government have responded by allocating £350,000 since January 1990. The last payment under this heading was made as recently as last month, towards emergency relief programmes. They have also contributed through their participation in the EC budget to EC emergency and food aid programmes for Sudan which amounted to over 30 million ECUs in 1990.
Given the scale of human suffering in the Sudan and the complications resulting from the civil war, internationally organised aid on a massive scale and the full co-operation of the authorities in Sudan is needed. For this reason, we welcomed the initiation of the United Nations Operation Lifeline in 1989 and its resumption in March 1990. This new effort was due largely to international pressure including pressure from the EC during the Irish Presidency. Unfortunately, the second phase has not been as effective to date as we would have hoped due to the civil war and to less than full co-operation from the authorities in Sudan to date.
The 12 member states of the EC have made a number of approaches to the Sudanese in this regard including a recent public statement issued on 7 February in which they urge the Government of Sudan to co-operate fully with donors. Ireland has been active in the EC context in raising the issue and developing Community policy.
Ireland's Bilateral Aid Programme (BAP) in the Sudan commenced in 1975 and has continued uninterrupted to the present. The programme is located in the Gezira Province of the Central Region and currently consists of projects in community forestry, child immunisation, rural village water supply, and agricultural research. It is intended to begin a new project in primary health care in 1991. The Irish aid programme, although small in volume, has contributed to development efforts in the Gezira area and local and regional authorities in the Sudan have expressed their satisfaction with, and appreciation of, the programme. Bilateral Aid Programme expenditure in the Sudan in 1991 is estimated at £0.6 million.
The civil war in the Sudan has not had any direct adverse effect on our bilateral aid programme as the latter is located in the central region which is well removed from the area of direct hostilities. Of course, there are Irish NGO programmes in the Sudan which have been severely affected by the restrictions imposed due to the civil war.
It has to be said, of course, that the effects of prolonged civil war, the famine conditions arising from poor harvests and the disruption caused by the Gulf crisis have severely affected the Sudanese economy and institutions and its capacity to achieve sustainable development.
In relation to Liberia, the civil conflict has led to devastation in the country and an outflow of refugees estimated at three-quarters of a million out of a population of 2.3 million. Ireland made a bilateral aid grant of £25,000 in 1990 towards aid programmes for refugees and the situation is being kept under review. Likewise, in Somalia we are monitoring developments carefully since a major conflict erupted there at the end of 1990 and we are keeping the situation under review. Ireland has also contributed to Liberia and Somalia through its participation in EC emergency and food aid programmes which totalled over 20 million ECUs since the beginning of 1990.
