Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 3

Written Answers. - Humanitarian Relief.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

145 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to take initiatives at EU or UN level to combat starvation at the various sensitive locations world-wide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27055/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

The reduction of hunger and poverty in the world is, I believe, one of the most important tasks to which the international community can dedicate itself in the 21st century. It is a task which can only be achieved when donors such as Ireland, the EU and others work hand in hand with United Nations agencies dedicated to relieving poverty throughout the world. At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the leaders of the world set themselves the ambitious target of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, by 2015. These MDGs aim to halve international poverty indicators by 2015.

A key goal in this period is to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Regional trends show that, while some progress is being made on this objective in East Asia and the Pacific, rates of malnutrition remain high in South Asia, and they are rising in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ireland will play its role at every level in order to support actions designed to bring about the achievement of the MDGs. At the bilateral level, we will continue to work towards meeting the UN target of 0.7% of GNP for development assistance. We will also strive to ensure the highest possible quality of our aid programme in meeting the needs of the poorest of the poor.

At the practical level, the Government is engaged in a number of humanitarian initiatives. Next week, on 19 November, Ireland will host the launch of the 2004 UN Humanitarian Appeal. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Ruud Lubbers, will represent the UN at the event. The consolidated appeals process, CAP, guided by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, is a key instrument for the humanitarian community and acts as the principal vehicle for strategic planning and resource mobilisation. It facilitates effective and efficient responses to famines and other emergencies by fostering collaboration among key humanitarian agencies including non-governmental organisations, donors, and host governments. In hosting the launch, Ireland will highlight chronic humanitarian emergencies which have faded from public consciousness or indeed have never been highlighted sufficiently.

At the EU level, Ireland will host an informal meeting of the Humanitarian Affairs Committee in Dublin next March. This meeting will bring together senior representatives from the humanitarian authorities in member states and the Commission to share information in relation to the management and implementation of humanitarian aid. At the meeting in Dublin, Ireland will focus the discussion on the effective delivery of food and other humanitarian aid in conflict situations.

I have communicated directly with my EU counterparts to urge a greater humanitarian response to the ongoing food security crisis in Africa. I have also met with the EU Commissioner with responsibility for development to highlight my concerns and to discuss ways of improving the co-ordination of humanitarian assistance. Mr. James Morris, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, visited Ireland in July last and we had the opportunity to share views on the issue of food security generally.

In the last 15 months, I have visited those regions in Africa where food insecurity has most directly affected millions of people. During visits to southern Africa and Ethiopia, I met with a wide range of key development stakeholders, including governments, EU partner donors, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to plan how food needs could best be addressed.

In response to the food deficit, I have approved more than €24 million in food assistance and other essential relief in the southern Africa region and the Horn of Africa in the last year.

If we are to break the cyclical nature of food insecurity in Africa and in other parts of the world, the underlying structural problems affecting poverty and stability must be addressed. What is needed is a multi-disciplinary approach to development, which prioritises a rapid response to emergencies, combined with a long-term approach to addressing the structural nature of recurring famine and food shortages. The donor community must focus once again on agriculture and the policy environment in which it operates. We should support basic agricultural research geared to reducing poverty. Major investments in basic education and health care are also a prerequisite to assist communities and countries move away from endemic poverty. These are sectors which are targeted by Development Co-operation Ireland in its development programmes, particularly in Africa.