Emer Higgins
Question:457. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way that the Irish Embassy in Zambia is delivering the Irish Aid programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13372/21]
View answerWednesday, 10 March 2021
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The Government’s policy for international development, ‘A Better World’, launched in February 2019, commits to scaling Ireland’s investment across four policy priorities: gender equality; reducing humanitarian need; climate action and strengthening governance.
This policy was complemented, in November 2019, by the Government’s Strategy for Africa to 2025, which builds on Ireland’s long history of engagement in the continent and commits to working with African countries in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on reaching those furthest behind first. In May 2020, an OECD review recognised the excellence of Irish Aid, Ireland’s international development programme, which helps Ireland play a leading role advocating for poverty reduction, channelling our assistance to where it is needed most.
In 2020, Ireland celebrated 40 years of its diplomatic presence in Zambia. While Zambia is classed as a lower middle-income country, much of the population lives in poverty and the country has one of the highest levels of inequality globally. Poverty is significantly worse in rural areas, and for the elderly, women and children. The Embassy of Ireland in Lusaka implements the Irish Aid programme in Zambia with an emphasis on reducing poverty and inequality.
In line with priorities on climate action and gender equality, a highlight of the programme in Zambia in recent years has been Ireland’s work on nutrition. Through a range of partners, the Embassy has worked to promote the availability and consumption of nutritious food products in rural and urban areas. For example, the Embassy has partnered with an organisation which has led to strengthening of agricultural supply chains of nutritious products by stimulating agricultural market development and investments in smallholder farmers, especially among women farmers.
The Embassy has adapted its programming in recent years to take account of the increasing humanitarian needs in Zambia resulting from climate and other shocks. In 2019, the Embassy partnered with an international NGO to support an emergency school feeding programme in response to a food security crisis in which up to 2.3 million Zambians required urgent support. In 2020 the Embassy partnered with UNICEF to implement an emergency cash transfer programme for 130,000 vulnerable urban households affected by COVID-19. This programme enabled these households to buy nutritious foods and other basic essentials.