Ireland was one of the first countries to respond to the tsunami disaster. Within a few hours of the onset of the tsunami, Ireland pledged €1 million in emergency assistance and this amount was quickly doubled as the death toll rose. When the full scale of the disaster became evident, the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, and I jointly announced that our funding would rise to €10 million. In addition, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, visited the affected region in early January with the heads of Concern, GOAL, the Irish Red Cross and Trócaire. On that occasion, he pledged a further contribution, doubling Ireland's pledge to €20 million, to address longer-term recovery and reconstruction, as well as immediate needs. The Irish public has also responded generously to the plight of the tsunami victims, through direct contributions to Irish and other aid agencies.
To date, approximately €11.3 million, or 57%, of the pledge has been committed towards meeting the needs of those most affected in the aftermath of the disaster. Assistance is being made available to non-governmental organisations, NGOs, UN agencies and other international organisations such as the Red Cross family. The Defence Forces provided a number of skilled personnel in the area of logistics to help with the recovery efforts. To date no funding has been delivered directly to Governments. A list of organisations and programmes which are being supported, and the breakdown of this support is set out below for the Deputy's information.
The special envoy to the tsunami-affected region appointed by the Government, former Minister of State and current chairman of the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland, Mr. Chris Flood, has made two visits to the region. During his visits, the envoy met with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including senior Government representatives. The envoy's mandate is to oversee the disbursement of Ireland's assistance and to ensure it is carried out in line with best international practice.
Ireland remains closely engaged with ongoing developments in relation to the aid effort in the tsunami affected countries. The reconstruction planning and implementation tasks ahead are enormous. We are in constant liaison with all stakeholders, including our partners in the NGOs and UN and international agencies, and this engagement will be actively maintained.
Tsunami Commitments as at 17 May 2005.
|
Country
|
Agency
|
Description
|
|
|
Burma
|
International Committee of the Red Cross
|
Emergency Assistance
|
500,000.00
|
|
|
Total Burma
|
500,000
|
|
India
|
Christian Aid
|
Emergency Humanitarian/Basic Needs Assistance
|
250,000
|
|
India
|
Concern Worldwide
|
Emergency Relief for Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry
|
435,993.00
|
|
India
|
GOAL
|
Emergency Relief for Tsunami affected populations of Tamil Nadu
|
485,000.00
|
|
India
|
Oxfam Ireland
|
Non-Food Items for Tsunami Victims
|
250,000.00
|
|
India
|
Gorta
|
Emergency Relief Programme
|
100,000.00
|
|
India
|
Hope Foundation
|
Tsunami Disaster Relief
|
200,000.00
|
|
|
Total India
|
1,720,993
|
|
Indonesia
|
Christian Childrens Fund
|
Care & Protection of Children in IDP Camps
|
165,500.00
|
|
Indonesia
|
Oxfam Ireland
|
Non food items for Earthquake affected populations in Aceh
|
250,000.00
|
|
Indonesia
|
Trocaire
|
Tsunami Emergency Relief
|
300,000
|
|
Indonesia
|
Mercy Corps
|
Midwives Livelihoods Recovery Programme
|
278,784.00
|
|
|
Total Indonesia
|
994,284.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
International Organisation for Migration
|
Health Care Assistance
|
100,000.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
OCHA*
|
Immediate Relief Assistance
|
1,000,000.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
UN High Commission for Refugees
|
Programmes in Indonesia & Sri Lanka as per 2005 UN Flash Appeal
|
500,000.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
UNICEF
|
Basic Needs & Caring/Protecting Children Separated from their families
|
1,000,000.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
World Food Programme (WFP)
|
Food Assistance
|
2,000,000.00
|
|
South Asia Region
|
World Health Programme (WHO)
|
Health Care Assistance
|
500,000.00
|
|
|
Total South Asia Region
|
5,100,000.00
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
GOAL
|
Emergency Humanitarian Assistance for IDPs
|
400,000.00
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
International Federation of the Red Cross
|
Bay of Bengal: Earthquake & Tsunami Appeal
|
750,000.00
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Plan Ireland
|
Rehabilitation of Basic Infrastructure in Hambantota District
|
200,000
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Trocaire
|
Short to Mid Term Response to the South Asia Crisis
|
200,000
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
World Vision Ireland
|
Food, Non-Food and Dry Rations
|
200,000
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Habitat for Humanity
|
Housing Programme
|
249,500
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
Concern Worldwide
|
Emergency Rehabilitation and Livelihood Dev. Project
|
500,000
|
|
|
Total Sri Lanka
|
2,499,500.00
|
|
Thailand
|
Home Life Foundation
|
Aids care programme
|
100,000.00
|
|
Thailand
|
|
Funding to be disbursed to the Disaster Victim Identification Centre,
|
400,000.00
|
|
|
UNDP livelihoods programmes and local small scale projects
|
|
|
|
Total Thailand
|
500,000.00
|
|
|
Total Disbursed/Committee
|
11,314,777.00
|
*UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
