As Minister, I share the urgent concern internationally for the 20 million people in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, who are at high risk of famine. These include 1.5 million acutely malnourished children.
Ireland is responding to each of these protracted emergencies through the timely allocation of humanitarian assistance. So far in 2017, we have allocated €4 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen; €9.2 million to South Sudan; €5.7 million to Somalia and almost €5.2 million to the Lake Chad Basin, including northeast Nigeria. Ireland’s assistance is provided through NGO, UN and Red Cross partners and is focused on meeting the immediate needs of those affected by these crises. This is done by providing access, for example, to food and malnutrition treatment services, and building the resilience of communities through livelihood-related activities.
The World Food Programme is a critical actor in responding to humanitarian emergencies around the world. In recognition of its key role, Ireland is providing €20 million annually to the WFP over a three year period (2016-2018) under a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This agreement ensures that the WFP has access to timely and predictable funding. Ireland is also the 8th largest contributor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), through which the WFP is the largest recipient. Officials from my Department and the Department of Agriculture engage very closely with the WFP, both at country level and at WFP headquarters in Rome, to advocate on particular crises situations.
Together with our EU and UN partners, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and to work internationally for respect for international humanitarian law and the safe delivery of assistance to those most in need. We will also continue to advocate at international fora for an end to the conflicts that are contributing significantly to these humanitarian crises.
