Written Answers. - Bilateral Aid Programme.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:
31
Mr. Byrne
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline the recent reviews of the bilateral aid programme to priority countries which have been carried out; if he is considering any alteration or expansion of the priority country list; if representations have been made to the Sudanese government over continued reports of difficulties with the distribution of international aid, especially to the southern part of that country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Nora Owen
Question:
105
Mrs. Owen
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if the issue of the enforced removal of over one million Sudanese people from the outskirts of Khartoum to the desert was discussed at the recent EC Council of Ministers meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:
109
Proinsias De Rossa
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will outline the latest information available to his Department regarding the famine situation in Sudan; if his attention has been drawn to plans by the Sudanese government to relocate hundreds of thousands of peasants deep in the desert where feeding them will be an even more difficult task; if he has made any representations to the Sudanese authorities on this plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 105 and 109 together.
The Government are deeply concerned about the famine situation in Sudan and will continue to do what they can to alleviate the situation. Critical food shortages continue in certain areas. Southern Sudan is particularly badly affected by continuing civil war, faction fighting, and widespread flooding. Communications have almost completely broken down rendering the relief operation extremely difficult.
Ireland has given help in the form both of emergency aid and of normal development assistance. In 1991 we contributed to an EC initiative involving 600,000 tonnes of extra food aid for different countries in Africa, including the Sudan. Ireland's share of this operation is estimated at £1.3 million. This is in addition to regular EC commitments of one million tonnes of food.
Despite the generosity of the international donor community, the needs still remain great. It is estimated by the UN that Sudan's needs for this year are about 700,000 tonnes. Facilities for delivering the food aid remain a paramount concern.
The situation has not been helped by the less than supportive attitude of the Sudanese government towards the relief effort. Constant representations have been made at a very high level by UN agencies to the Sudanese authorities. Ireland has been fully supportive of these efforts. Along with my colleagues in the European Community I will continue to maintain pressure to improve the position. Close contact is being maintained with the appropriate UN agencies to monitor the implementation of the relief effort.
The Government have been concerned for some time about the Sudanese government's plan to move forcibly large numbers of displaced persons from Khartoum to inadequately prepared camps outside the city.
The Government raised the issue at the last European Development Council in November and at the United Nations. The Irish ambassador to Sudan, who is based in Cairo, has also raised the plight of the residents of the Khartoum camps with the Sudanese authorities, as have Department officials from Dublin who visited Sudan. The ambassador will shortly visit Sudan again and will make further representations.
Our concern about the situation is shared by our EC partners and by the United Nations Secretariat. EC and UN representatives in Khartoum are working closely together on this matter and have made strong representations to the Sudanese government. Unfortunately, according to the information available to me, there has been no improvement in the situation. I shall remain in close contact with our EC partners to decide what is the best course of action to be followed.
Two studies relating to the Irish aid programme were completed at the end of last year by the Advisory Council on Development Co-operation. One gives an overview of the aid programme since its inception and the other deals with the issue of gender and Irish aid. The overview study in particular is extensive in scope, covering a wide range of topics which merit careful consideration. I am giving careful attention to the issues raised. While there are some proposals in the reports with which I cannot agree, as a whole I find the two volumes valuable, and they contain a number of helpful ideas which I propose to implement.
I am satisfied that the results achieved by our bilateral aid programme in recent years — within the resources available — have made a substantial contribution to assisting our partner countries with their development needs. There is, of course, always room for improvement and the regular monitoring of our aid projects is an integral part of the management of our programme. The bilateral aid programme is targeted at four priority countries in Africa — Zambia, Tanzania, Sudan and Lesotho — and I have no plans to alter or expand the list of countries at present. I would see our priority as being to build up the resources available to our existing programme in these countries. I note that this view is endorsed in the overview study I have referred to.
