Michael Creed
Question:70 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has satisfied himself with the Government's response to hurricane Mitch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27749/98]
Written Answers. - Humanitarian Assistance.
I am satisfied that Ireland, in the initial aftermath of hurricane Mitch, responded swiftly and generously to the humanitarian crisis in central America by approving a total of £550,000 from the emergency humanitarian assistance fund administered by my Department. Ireland's assistance is being disbursed through Trócaire, APSO, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme. The amount of assistance received by each agency and its purpose is as follows: grants totaling £100,000 to Trócaire for immediate relief, which includes meeting the needs in nine severely affected municipalities in Honduras; grants totaling £80,000 to ASPO for humanitarian assistance in Honduras and Nicaragua; a grant of £120,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross. The federation, along with its national societies, is able to disburse these funds to where they are most needed, including other countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador; a grant of £100,000 to the World Health Organisation for emergency medical supplies on behalf of all countries affected within the region; and a grant of £150,000 to the World Food Programme towards its emergency feeding operation for the most vulnerable victims of the hurricane in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Trócaire and APSO have spent many years carrying out excellent development projects throughout the region. Years of painstaking development were destroyed in one blow as many of these projects were literally swept away. Staff have now been redeployed in the short-term in order to maintain some level of essential services to the people.
In Honduras and Nicaragua, APSO are organising the supply of food, medicine and clothing for the communities with which they work. APSO has reported the urgent need for fast growing rice and bean seed in the hope of producing some food within the next three months. Part of the moneys allocated to APSO is being used to supply emergency medical kits in some of the most affected areas of Honduras. To avoid duplication, APSO is co-ordinating closely with other international agencies and particularly with Trócaire to whom it has provided a number of personnel. Trócaire is focusing on emergency assistance in the form of family food packages.
The Government intends to remain engaged with the reconstruction effort and we are open to providing further aid, especially for rehabilitation. Following intial discussion at the General Affairs Council on 23 November, EU Development Ministers met on 30 November and agreed that, given the scale of the disaster, the international community as a whole must show solidarity with these countries both through the provision of emergency and rehabilitation assistance and in tackling the long-term social, economic and environmental issues invovled.
Co-ordination of the international effort has already started. In Washington on 10-11 December the Inter-American Development Bank hosted a consultative group meeting of donors, international organisations and affected countries. The need to co-ordinate ongoing reconstruction assistance, and to include civil society, NGOs and the private sector in this co-ordination process was recognised. A further meeting of the consultative group will be held from 25-28 May 1999 in Stockholm.