Vol. 516 No. 5
158 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in Mozambique; the level of support required from the international community; the required levels of support over the next 12 months; the other countries prioritised in Ireland's bilateral aid programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8607/00]
The humanitarian situation in Mozambique is beginning to stabilise. Rescue operations are winding up and the emphasis is now on providing emergency relief to the displaced and affected population. Currently some 463,000 people, including the displaced and those who have been isolated, are receiving food aid. On 23 February the UN launched an initial appeal for US$13.5 million. By now over US$118 million has been received. The additional money will be used to fund a fresh appeal being put together by the UN which will target reconstruction work over the next six months.
The Mozambican economy had been performing particularly well in recent years until the flooding disaster struck. This positive performance had been underpinned by a favourable policy environment and effective economic management, for which the government of Mozambique deserves full credit.
In these circumstances, there are grounds for optimism that the economy can return relatively quickly to a positive performance provided there is adequate support for both rehabilitation and long-term development. International meetings have been scheduled for the coming months to co-ordinate external assistance for rehabilitation and development. Ireland is ready to pledge significantly increased levels of support for both types of assistance as soon as needs have been determined and arrangements agreed for a division of effort among the donors.
With respect to the distribution of bilateral assistance under the Ireland Aid programme, I can confirm that Mozambique will continue to be a priority country for this purpose; the other priority countries for bilateral assistance from Ireland are Ethiopia, Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
