I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 46 and 113 together.
The present famine in Africa in which more than 20 million people may be in danger of starvation is at least as serious as that of 1984-85 when similar numbers of people were affected. At that time the European Community significantly increased its emergency aid to the affected regions. This culminated in the Dublin Plan to which Deputy O'Keeffe refers, under which the Community attempted to meet 60 per cent of the food deficit by mobilising 1.2 million tonnes of food for delivery to the peoples of Ethiopia, Sudan and the other countries in need. While this had the support of all parties in the House I pay tribute to the then Taoiseach, Dr. Garret Fitzgerald, as well as to Deputy O'Keeffe who was Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs for their role at the time.
According to the latest estimates from the Commission, the needs of all the countries affected on this occasion are put at 4.5 million tonnes and at the present time there is a shortfall of 1.5 million tonnes. The situation is most serious in the Horn of Africa—Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia — where about 15 million people are at risk. Many other countries, in particular Angola, Mozambique and Liberia, are facing a worsening situation. The most immediate priority is to meet the needs of the next few months when stocks of food aid, especially in Sudan, will become depleted.