Vol. 557 No. 2
194 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of Ireland's contribution in the area of overseas development aid; the countries to which the greatest contribution is made; the countries now deemed to have the greatest need; his plans to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21890/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 198 together.
The Government's national programme of assistance to developing countries comprises two elements. The major component, my Department's Vote for International Co-operation, amounts to €340 million in 2002, while elements of ODA, which are expected to total some €80 million in 2002, are administered by other Departments. Total spending on ODA is, therefore, expected to reach some €420 million in 2002.
Bilateral assistance under Vote 39 will amount to some €270 million in 2002, including €231 million under the bilateral grant-in-aid. The key focus of the bilateral programme is on a small number of least developed countries, the programme countries, in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. These are among the poorest countries in the world and receive the brunt of our bilateral assistance.
Country programmes are guided by a three year strategy negotiated with the government of the country concerned. These strategies include specific targets and performance indicators for progress in areas such as primary health, basic education, water and sanitation, agriculture and food security, rural access roads and good governance. Although progress may be slow from time to time in individual sectors, real and substantial progress is being made across the range of areas in which Ireland Aid is active within each country programme. This progress is monitored on an ongoing basis. In addition, the evaluation and audit unit of Ireland Aid undertakes an annual programme of evaluations to assess the effectiveness, sustainability and efficiency of Ireland Aid programmes.
195 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of situations in respect of which Ireland has in recent times intervened to avert loss of life and starvation in developing countries in the past 12 months; his priorities in this regard for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21891/02]
In 2001 and to date in 2002, the Government has responded to a wide range of humanitarian emergencies, natural and man-made, throughout the world. In these efforts the key priorities are the protection of human life and assisting the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods which have been devastated by humanitarian emergencies.
In these humanitarian endeavours, Ireland Aid, the official aid programme of the Government, works in close partnership with UN agencies such as the World Food Programme, the UN High Commission for Refugees and UNICEF, with non-governmental organisations such as Concern, GOAL, Trócaire, Oxfam and Christian Aid and with international agencies such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent family. These partner organisations have a proven capacity to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters and man-made emergencies.
In 2001, Ireland Aid assisted emergency and rehabilitation operations on over 130 occasions in more than 30 countries, providing assistance ranging from emergency shelter for earthquake victims in El Salvador to food aid for internally displaced persons in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the scale of the suffering rose significantly in the aftermath of the events of 11 September, with the impact of war, social collapse and severe weather conditions taking a heavy humanitarian toll. Since 11 September 2001, Ireland Aid has delivered assistance amounting to over €11 million for the people of Afghanistan.
Full details of Ireland Aid emergency and rehabilitation assistance for 2001, including amounts contributed, the relief organisations involved and the geographic location of their activities, are provided in the 2001 Ireland Aid Annual Report. Copies of the report, which was published by Government in October 2002, have been placed in the Oireachtas Library.
In 2002, great attention has been devoted by the Government to the growing food crises in Africa. Recent assessments carried out by the United Nations World Food Programme indicate that over 14 million people in southern Africa and 12 million in the Horn of Africa region will be in need of food assistance by next May. In response to these food crises, Ireland Aid has delivered over €11.5 million in emergency and humanitarian assistance for the affected countries in southern Africa and the Horn of Africa region to date this year. In addition, on 22 October 2002, a special €1 million emergency food aid package for Ethiopia was announced by Minister of State with special responsibility for overseas development assistance, Deputy Tom Kitt.
196 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on Ireland's contribution to the alleviation of hardship or otherwise in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21892/02]
The international aid community, including Ireland, has been providing essential emergency relief to Afghanistan for a number of years. In October 2000 the Government gave priority to Afghanistan as a then "forgotten emergency". In 2001, Ireland Aid, the official aid programme of the Government, delivered emergency humanitarian assistance amounting to over €5 million to the people of Afghanistan.
The scale of the suffering in Afghanistan increased further in the aftermath of the events of 11 September, with the impact of war, social collapse and severe weather conditions taking a heavy humanitarian toll. At the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance for Afghanistan held in Tokyo last January, I made a bilateral pledge of €12 million from the Ireland Aid programme to be delivered over a three year period. Some €5.3 million of this pledge has already been delivered to date in 2002.
In addition to funding dispersed under the Tokyo pledge, a further €2.2 million in emergency humanitarian assistance has been provided in support of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees so far this year and a further US$250,000 was provided to the UNDP Law and Order Trust Fund in support of civil police capacity building. It is anticipated that the underlying humanitarian emergency occurring in Afghanistan will continue for some time and the Government stands ready to respond further as may be required.
