Finian McGrath
Ceist:479 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the potential for massive starvation in Zimbabwe; and if he will intervene at UN level to assist these needy people. [15787/02]
Written Answers. - Overseas Development Aid.
The Government is keenly aware of the grave humanitarian situation now facing Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region. Recent assessments carried out by the United Nations World Food Programme – WFP – indicate that over 14 million people in Southern Africa will be in need of food assistance by next March. Nearly half of these are in Zimbabwe.
In response to this food crisis, Ireland Aid, the official aid programme of the Government, has delivered over €8 million in emergency and humanitarian assistance for the affected countries in Southern Africa to date this year. Financial support has been given to the key international organisations providing food aid in Zimbabwe and other affected countries in Southern Africa – in May €0.5 million was provided for the International Federation of the Red Cross in response to its food security appeal and in July over €1 million was allocated to the WFP. To date this year, €1.2 million has been delivered to Irish non-governmental organisations – NGOs – for the provision of food relief in Zimbabwe.
The Government's concern at the situation in Southern Africa has also been underlined by the fact that the Minister of State with special responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance, Deputy Kitt, visited Malawi and Zambia last August and witnessed at first hand the devastating effect that famine, drought and HIV-AIDs are having on the people of the region. The Minister of State also viewed the excellent work being carried out by Irish non-governmental organisations and by missionaries and their local counterparts in seeking to alleviate the worst effects of the crisis.
The WFP Country Director for Zimbabwe visited Dublin in September and briefed Ireland Aid on the food situation in Zimbabwe. A senior Ireland Aid official is scheduled to travel to Harare shortly to meet with relevant international organisations, Irish NGOs and missionaries to review Ireland's emergency humanitarian aid programme and to co-ordinate further assistance.
I would note that, in addition to emergency humanitarian assistance, Ireland Aid is also delivering long-term development support to the region with an emphasis on poverty reduction through the provision of basic needs and capacity building support. In 2002 it is estimated that such support for Southern Africa will exceed €80 million.
Ireland's financial support has been complemented by ongoing political action. The Government has been working closely with its partners at the European Union and United Nations to develop strategies on how immediate food needs across Southern Africa may best be addressed at both the national and regional levels.
On 30 May 2002, a Declaration on the Food Crisis in Southern Africa was adopted at the EU Development Council in Brussels at Ireland's initiative. In June 2002 I raised the matter with other EU Ministers at the meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg. More recently, on 17 July 2002, the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, met with Commissioner Poul Nielson in Brussels for discussions on the food crisis.
At the UN level, in June 2002 Ireland took part in the special Regional Meeting on Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa hosted jointly by the WFP and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Johannesburg. In his address to the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on 3 September 2002, the Taoiseach highlighted the food security crisis in Southern Africa and the need for an urgent international response. At the Summit, the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, raised the crisis with EU Development and Environment Ministers and with the Administrator of the UN Development Programme.
I will continue to follow the unfolding situation in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa carefully and the Government will of course be prepared to deliver further assistance. In addition, we will work with our donor partners to ensure maximum co-ordination and coherence in the international response to this crisis.