Written Answers. - Mozambique Flooding.
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:
59
Mr. Broughan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the amount allocated for the relief from the recent floods in Mozambique; if he will increase the allocation in view of the appalling devastation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13062/00]
Ivor Callely
Question:
93
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the level of support Mozambique has received to address its current difficulties; the impact the support has made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13140/00]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
107
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the steps, if any, to be taken by the international community to assist the situation in Mozambique with particular reference to alleviation of starvation and famine and mindful of the need to promote due democratic process; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13210/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 93 and 107 together.
In the immediate aftermath of the Mozambican floods assistance worth IR£2,365,000 was provided by Ireland to address humanitarian needs. A sum of £700,000 was allocated from the emergency humanitarian budget and to support the distribution of emergency relief items by both UN agencies and the Irish NGOs working in the region. The remaining £1.65 million was reallocated from the bilateral aid programme for emergency medicines and reconstruction and recovery activities.
Ireland was represented at the recent Mozambique donor's conference in Rome, where we pledged a further £4.5 million: for road reconstruction, £2.8 million, and debt relief, £1.7 million. Importantly, this money will actually be disbursed by the end of this year due to the excellent work which has already been carried out by our embassy in co-operation with the Mozambican authorities.
Throughout the initial emergency response, and now as reconstruction has begun, Ireland's assistance has been well focused and disbursed quickly thanks to the experience of long-term development in Mozambique. The Mozambican Government has emphasised the need for relief and reconstruction efforts to be carried out with a minimum of interference with ongoing development programmes. Therefore, Ireland will continue to provide the £7.4 million committed for long-term development aid in 2000.
As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland has already contributed IR£5 million to a national debt relief programme in Mozambique in the period 1997-99. We firmly believe that because of Mozambique's tremendous development efforts, as well as the appalling set-backs of February-March this year due to the floods, there is a compelling argument for total debt cancellation. The Taoiseach made these views known to President Chissano, when they meten marge of the Cairo Summit in early April. Ireland has always held the view that the huge debt burden on poor developing countries is a major constraint to their development and must be recognised as such. We are pleased with the international attention being given to this important issue. We will continue to press for a generous and flexible response by the international community to debt relief and debt cancellation.
