Vol. 535 No. 5
45 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether there is now a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and in which hundreds of thousands of the Afghan people are suffering; and the humanitarian and political steps which can be taken directly through the European Union or the United Nations Security Council to assist the Afghan people. [13063/01]
The continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan, aggravated by the recent resumption of a spring offensive, renders the overall situation, especially in terms of humanitarian needs, even more serious and pressing than before. The Afghan people continue to remain the single largest refugee caseload in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Afghan refugees are in Pakistan and 1.4 million in Iran, while about one million people have been displaced inside Afghanistan.
More than 20 years of conflict has ruined the economy and reduced the living conditions of most of Afghanistan's 20 million population to a bare subsistence level. The United Nations system recently estimated that about 500,000 Afghans have left their homes since last year due to drought, conflict, or a combination of both, while nearly three million Afghans are now dependent on food aid for survival.
Efforts to achieve a peace settlement between the warring parties have centred on the six-plus-two group, made up of the six neighbouring countries along with Russia and the United States. The UN Secretary General has sent a special representative, Mr. Vendrell, to Kabul to move this process forward. However, peace talks are not yet in prospect and the effects of the conflict continue to have serious repercussions, not only within Afghanistan but in adjoining countries. This has led to a situation where neighbouring countries are no longer prepared to host any more refugees. This situation, which is a reality constraining the efforts of the international community to achieve the desired humanitarian and political solutions, is of the greatest concern to the Irish Government.
Only a sustained international effort in support of the affected populations can avert further suffering and loss of life. It is in this context that Ireland has been working at the UN, and especially at the Security Council, to alleviate these problems. The Government continues to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and to stress the need to take it fully into account in the context of UN Security Council considerations of this subject.
I recently announced an aid package of emergency assistance totalling £953,000 to address the effects of drought, crop failure, conflict and displacement, which have devastated the lives of millions of Afghans.
Additional InformationThis includes allocations to the Irish non-governmental organisations Concern and Christian Aid for projects providing emergency assistance to the most vulnerable among those affected by drought. Some £750,000 was granted to the UN agencies, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and UNICEF through the UN consolidated appeal for Afghanistan and is being directed at the areas of greatest need, such as food assistance, food security and emergency health activities. This significant contribution is part of a determined effort by Ireland Aid to be more pro-active in responding to emergencies while at the same time enabling more timely emergency interventions in the field.
The European Union is the principal donor for the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. In the period 1991 to 2001, approximately 400 million has been committed by the European Commission for programmes focusing on emergency aid to refugees, returnees and internally displaced people.
The Government, along with its European Union colleagues, continues to raise the need to improve the conditions of the general population of Afghanistan. We have stressed the importance of finding a long-term, comprehensive solution which addresses the political difficulties, the issues of terrorism and drugs, as well as the humanitarian situation. We are continuing to keep the situation under close review.
Since I tabled this question, the programme made by Mark Little has been shown on RTE and demonstrates that in my question I underestimated the extent of the problem and the horrific catastrophe occurring in Afghanistan. Does the Minister of State believe we are doing enough to assist the Afghan people? Almost 20% of the population are refugees or displaced which amounts to more than 3.5 million people. We have given about £900,000 in cash, which works out at about 33p or 34p per head, as our contribution towards the alleviation of the problem. Does the Minister of State agree that this is perhaps one of the greatest catastrophes since the Ethiopian crisis? Does she also agree that much more needs to be done directly at this stage by way of aid and support through the European Union by putting together a major package from the Union and from the UN? Not enough is being done.
The European Union is the principal donor for the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. In the period 1991 to 2001, approximately 400 million has been committed by the European Commission for programmes focusing on emergency aid to refugees, returnees and internally displaced people. The Government, bilaterally, has made a significant contribution, and we are prepared to do more. We are monitoring the situation closely, especially with UNICEF.
On a political level, we have taken action through our membership of the Security Council to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We have been outspoken on the need to take the humanitarian impact of the UN sanctions on the Afghan people into account. Ireland is one of the few countries which pushed for a briefing of the Security Council by the UN office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs on the impact of the sanctions. We also called for measures to ensure the greatest number of humanitarian organisations possible had full exemptions from the flight ban imposed by the UN sanctions against the Taliban. We have also been outspoken on the issue of human rights violations in Afghanistan, especially discrimination against women.
Are the people who are not classified as refugees the worst-off? It was clear from the RTE programme that huge numbers of people have been displaced who, for political reasons, cannot be registered and recognised as refugees and who do not receive any assistance. Does the Minister of State hold out any hope that some measure of assistance will get through to such people?
There is not any discrimination in terms of the receipt of humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has provided assistance in the areas of health, water and sanitation and non-food items in co-ordination with other UN agencies and non-governmental organisations. This is a massive appeal by the international community because the position has deteriorated in the past few months. Every effort will be made. Ireland is cognisant of the need for further humanitarian assistance and we will be forthcoming in that regard.
