Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2013
176. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to widespread commentary that humanitarian aid to Syria is not reaching the persons most in need; his views on the reports that the distribution of this aid is controlled by the Assad regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14240/13]
View answer177. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the systems in place to ensure that the Irish humanitarian aid to Syria and neighbouring areas is being distributed to the people most in need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14242/13]
View answer178. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there were discussions at the recent EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to reports that humanitarian aid is not reaching the people most in need in Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14243/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 178, inclusive, together.
It is clear that the humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly, causing further suffering and untold hardship for over four million people affected by the crisis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) estimates that almost 70,000 people have been killed as a result of the conflict and over 3 million have been displaced from their homes. Over 1.1 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries.
We are very aware of the challenges involved in reaching those most in need in Syria, and I have consistently raised our concerns about humanitarian access at the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The constraints are many. Excessive controls on aid agencies working in the country, the fragmentation of the armed opposition and the intensity of military confrontations have made the operating environment extremely volatile and insecure, particularly in opposition-controlled areas. Restrictions imposed by the Assad regime, combined with logistical constraints and increasing insecurity, make it very difficult to access populations in need of humanitarian assistance. Nevertheless, I am satisfied that our key partners on the ground are succeeding in reaching vulnerable populations. Since last October, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been delivering assistance to 1.5 million people each month. Almost half of this aid has been delivered in disputed or opposition-controlled areas. Other partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), working with the Syria Arab Red Crescent (SARC), have been reaching areas inaccessible to the UN. We believe it is essential, however, that the international community increase the scale and scope of humanitarian assistance in order to meet the increasing level of needs across the country.
In January, negotiations between the UN and the Government of Syria resulted in agreement to allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance across conflict lines. The UN also negotiated authorisation from the Government of Syria to establish an international field presence. The UN base in Homs has had an immediate impact in increasing the delivery of aid. Additional implementing partners, approved by the Government of Syria and vetted by the UN, have been contracted to expand the reach of humanitarian assistance across the country. The ICRC and SARC have succeeded through negotiation in delivering much-needed food and essential household items to a number of opposition-held areas, most recently Al-Houleh in Homs province.
The meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council which I attended in Brussels on 18 February, explicitly reaffirmed the leading role of the UN in providing assistance to Syria and to neighbouring countries which are hosting the large number of refugees from the conflict. The Council also committed the EU to taking steps towards providing humanitarian assistance to all areas in the country, including those currently not reached by humanitarian aid. At the most recent meeting of the Council, on 11 March, we held further discussions on the deteriorating humanitarian situation with the Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League, Lakhdar Brahimi.
The UN and other humanitarian partners aim to reach 2.5 million people across all areas of Syria over coming months. Such an increase in humanitarian assistance will depend on the support of the Government of Syria and the Opposition to facilitate safe access to vulnerable populations. The availability of funds is also critical. It is estimated that over €1.1 billion will be needed for the response in Syria until the end of June. Ireland has responded swiftly and generously to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and to date has provided over €7 million in humanitarian assistance through long-standing and reputable partners such as WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, ICRC, and international Non-Governmental Organisations. We work through partners which have a demonstrated track record of effective humanitarian response in Syria, with strong targeting, delivery and accountability mechanisms to provide live-saving assistance to the people most in need. We are continuing to monitor the situation to review the effectiveness of our contribution and asses how we can respond further to humanitarian needs in Syria and the region.
