Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2021
20. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his visit to Africa over the summer in particular his visit to Tigray and Ethiopia; if additional Irish Aid will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46228/21]
View answerI remain deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Tigray, including the ongoing blockade of the region and attacks on humanitarian workers.
Ireland continues to strongly advocate for an urgent response to the crisis, and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict - through our bilateral engagement, our EU membership, and at the UN Security Council.
In July, I travelled to Kenya and Somalia for a series of regional engagements in preparation for Ireland’s presidency of the Security Council in September. The visit provided opportunities to strengthen Ireland’s bilateral cooperation with both countries, along with our engagement on peace and security in the Horn of Africa more broadly. During the visit, I had extensive discussions on the situation in Tigray with President Kenyatta of Kenya, and with the UN Ambassadors of Kenya, Niger and Tunisia, the three African countries currently serving on the Security Council alongside Ireland. I followed up on these discussions with a meeting with Ethiopia's deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, in New York on 21 September.
Ireland continues to take the lead at the UN Security Council on the situation in Tigray, most recently spearheading calls for the open Council meeting of 26 August, where we urged an end to the violence, full humanitarian access, accountability for atrocities, and for a political solution to the conflict.
Ireland’s continued priority is the welfare of the people of Ethiopia, which is affected by the persistence of conflict. Through the Irish Aid programme, we have so far provided over €3.2 million to support the humanitarian response in Tigray and to the refugee response in neighbouring Sudan, through trusted UN and NGO partners on the ground. On 7 July, Minister Brophy announced additional humanitarian funding of €2.75m for Ethiopia, to address hunger and insecurity, including in Tigray.
