Bernard Durkan
Question:229. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made to address the refugee crisis in Syria and Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18641/17]
View answerWednesday, 12 April 2017
Questions (229)
Written answers
Ireland continues to respond to the unprecedented levels of humanitarian need resulting from ongoing conflict and violence in Syria and Iraq, including through support to neighbouring countries, which are hosting huge numbers of refugees.
Since 2012, we have provided a total of €76.5 million in humanitarian assistance for the Syria crisis. At the conference co-chaired by the EU and the UN in Brussels last week, I promised that Ireland would provide at least €25 million this year to support those affected by the crisis. A further €5.75 million has been provided in for Iraq, including €3 million in 2016.
Our funding is channeled through a range of partners, including UN organisations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and NGOs, who are best placed to respond. These partners provide humanitarian supplies and urgently-needed health, education, water and sanitation services, as well as protection for children and vulnerable families. On my recent visit to Jordan and Lebanon, I saw how Ireland’s assistance is helping refugees to meet their daily requirements, and I heard how their ambition is to return in safety to their homes.
Through our annual contributions to the EU, Ireland is supporting the EU’s humanitarian response in Syria and Iraq, including the Turkey Refugee Facility. Funding from the Facility has been used to launch the largest humanitarian programme in EU history, the Emergency Social Safety Net, which provides direct monthly cash transfers to the most vulnerable refugee families in Turkey.
Since 2012, we have also deployed 43 experts through our Rapid Response Corps to the Balkans and Middle East, to work with UN agencies responding to migration challenges resulting from the Syrian conflict.
Given the volatile situation in Iraq, we expect to provide additional funds to the UN’s Iraq humanitarian operation this year, focusing on the needs of the displaced.
We are continuing to monitor developments in the region very closely and will work with partners to ensure that our assistance helps to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including displaced and refugee communities.