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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 3

Written Answers. - Emergency Aid Funding.

Dan Boyle

Ceist:

50 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the proportion of the emergency aid funding budget which has been given for humanitarian relief in Iraq; the total amount of humanitarian aid given to Iraq by the Government in 2003 to date; the other countries which have received emergency aid in 2003; the moneys involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26768/03]

John Bruton

Ceist:

59 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the current humanitarian situation in Iraq; the level of aid funding to be made available to Iraq for the first six months of 2004; and if he will report any brief that he may have received from UNICEF on the current humanitarian situation. [26806/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 59 together.

In 2003, the Government has provided €5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to alleviate suffering in Iraq. The key focus of this support has been on basic health services, water and sanitation, food assistance and help for internally displaced persons. Ireland's funding has been delivered via the Red Cross family, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, Concern, GOAL, Trócaire and the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Emergency and recovery assistance is delivered through a number of funding channels in order to provide maximum flexibility of response. The emergency and recovery budgets for 2003 stand at €23 million and €12 million respectively. In addition, emergency funding is provided as necessary from other budget lines such as the programme countries.

While the 2003 outturns will not be available until early 2004, it is anticipated that funding to Iraq during 2003 will amount to less than 14% of funds delivered for emergency and postemergency recovery operations.

At the recent Madrid Donors Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq, Ireland pledged up to €3 million for humanitarian and recovery needs in Iraq over the next 18 months. This assistance will be provided through valued partners such as UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs. Discussions will take place over the coming months with these partner organisations, to examine sectors and priorities on a needs basis.

More than €28 million has been approved to date in 2003 for emergency and post-emergency recovery programmes in other countries worldwide, the details of which are contained in a table below.

I remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq. I recently met Mr. Carel de Rooy, UNICEF representative for Iraq, who briefed me on UNICEF's programmes in the sectors of health, water and sanitation, education and child protection. Mr. de Rooy outlined the problems facing the agency on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Iraq at present. In general, humanitarian operations in Iraq continue to be hampered by the security and unstable operating environment. In particular, movement around the country is limited. The current situation turns each humanitarian and development action into a challenge. Recent attacks on the UN and humanitarian agencies such as the Red Cross family have greatly hampered emergency operations. The UNICEF representative made special mention of the courage and commitment of Iraqi national staff, working with UNICEF and other UN and international agencies at great personal risk.
The news from Iraq is not all bad. Before the most recent war, 60% of the Iraqi people were absolutely dependent on Government-distributed food rations. There were great fears that food shortages and further malnutrition could result from the war. However, owing to the tremendous efforts and dedication of the World Food Programme, its partners, donors and especially the many thousands of Iraqis involved in the oil for food programme, a humanitarian food crisis has been averted.
The planned handover of the oil for food programme (OFFP), as outlined in Security Council Resolution 1483, to the coalition provisional authority (CPA) on 21 November 2003 will need to be carefully executed, in order to ensure that particular attention is paid to protecting vulnerable groups after the phase-out of the OFFP. I am encouraged by the fact that it is intended that the World Food Programme will continue to assist with food distribution, in order to finalise the delivery of commodities and to facilitate a smooth handover to the CPA, in co-ordination with the relevant Iraqi authorities.
I will continue to do everything in my power to monitor developments in Iraq and to assist in alleviating suffering, facilitating the transition to democracy and putting in place the building blocks for recovery.
Emergency Humanitarian Programmes

Country

FundedTo Date

Description of Programme

Agency

Iraq

500,000

Humanitarian Funding Programme

ICRC

Iraq

500,000

Crisis Appeal for Iraq's Children

UNICEF

Iraq

500,000

Humanitarian Funding Programme

IFRC

Iraq

500,000

Water and Sanitation

UNICEF

Iraq

400,000

Humanitarian Funding Prog – Flash Appeal

UN OCHA

Iraq

1,000,000

Humanitarian Funding Prog – Flash Appeal

WFP

Iraq

500,000

Humanitarian Funding Prog – Flash Appeal

ICRC

Iraq

300,000

Emergency Preparedness & Response in Iraq

Concern

Iraq

300,000

Emergency Relief for War-Affected Populations in S. Iraq

Goal

Iraq

500,000

Emergency Support Programme for IDPs

Trócaire

Total

5,000,000

Afghanistan

262,000

Locust Mitigation support Programme

Goal

Algeria

500,000

Emergency Appeal for Earthquake

IFRC

Angola

80,000

Emergency Seeds & Tools Distrib. for IDPs

Trócaire

Angola

120,000

Agricultural Rehab. Prog. for Resettled Families

Trócaire

Angola

91,000

Emergency Seeds & Tools Distribution

Trócaire

DPRK

75,000

Water and Sanitation

Concern

DPRK

75,000

Food Emergency

Concern

DRC

250,000

Minimum Package for Emergency Health Care Activities

WHO

DRC

500,000

Emergency Water & Sanitation Programme

UNICEF

DRC

350,000

Emergency Primary Healthcare in Equator Province

MSF

East Timor

150,000

Assitance for Food Security

WFP

Eritrea

250,000

Emergency Relief/Basic Health

Trócaire

Eritrea

300,000

Food Assistance to War and Drought Affected Persons

WFP

Ethiopia

300,000

Emergency Relief in Oromia Zone

Trócaire

Ethiopia

200,000

Seeds and Tools Distribution in Damot Neyde

Concern

India

20,000

Flooding in West Bengal

Hope Foundation

International

145,000

Support to Work Programme 2003/04

Feinstein Institute

Ivory Coast

250,000

Assist. to Urban Refugees in Abidjan

UNHCR

Liberia

250,000

Food Assist. for Relief & Recovery Refugees

WFP

Liberia

300,000

CAPS Appeal – Provision of Urgent Humanitarian Needs

UNICEF

Liberia

200,000

CAPS Appeal – Provision of Urgent Humanitarian Needs

UN OCHA

Liberia

250,000

Emergency Relief to IDPs

ICRC

Liberia

400,000

Emergency Relief to IDPs through local partners

Trócaire

Liberia

250,000

Sanitation, Shelter and Hygiene

Concern

Liberia

250,000

Public Health and Protection

Oxfam

Liberia

150,000

Emergency Health Programme

IRC

Liberia

200,000

Delivery of non Food Items to Liberia

World Vision

Malawi

200,000

Emergency Food Assistance Programme

Oxfam

Malawi

390,583

Dedza Emergency Food Distribution Project

Concern Universal

Malawi

200,000

Winter Cropping/Agricult. Production-Food Security

Concern

N/A

35,000

Start Up Costs

World Vision

N/A

25,000

Start Up Costs

Oxfam

N/A

27,000

Start Up Costs

Christian Aid

N/A

157,000

Start Up Costs

Goal

N/A

167,000

Start Up Costs

Concern

N/A

132,000

Start Up Costs

Trócaire

Pakistan

40,000

Floods in Pakistan

Concern

Country

FundedTo Date

Description of Programme

Agency

Palestine

260,000

Emergency Water Supply/Employment

Trócaire

Palestine

1,000,000

Emergency Operations

UNRWA

Sierra Leone

300,000

Emergency Health Care

MSF

Sri Lanka

150,000

Emergency Appeal for Floods

IFRC

Sudan

250,000

Primary Healthcare for Mid-Western Upper Nile

Tearfund

Sudan

300,000

Emergency Feeding

WFP

Sudan

100,000

Co-ordination of Humanitarian Activities

UNDP

Sudan

220,329

Health Care, Kadugly County

MSF

Tanzania

100,000

Emergency Seeds Distribution

FAO

Turkey

100,000

Emergency Appeal – Earthquake in Bingol Province

IFRC

Uganda

100,000

Food Assist. for Relief & Recovery Refugees

WFP

Uganda

300,000

Emergency Feeding (IDPS, Refugees)

WFP

Zambia/Angola

200,000

Refugee Repatriation

IOM

Zimbabwe

322,472

Emergency Food Assist for vulnerable families

Concern

Zimbabwe

10,010

Supplementary Food School-Going Children

Goal

Zimbabwe

1,000,000

Emergency Feeding

WFP

Zimbabwe

400,000

Supplementary Feeding in Siza

Trócaire

Zimbabwe

750,000

Emergency Supplementary Feeding

Trócaire

Total

13,404,394

Post-Emergency Recovery Programmes

Country

FundedTo Date

Description of Programme

Agency

Cambodia

195,000

Rehabilitation of disabled people

Handicap International

Sierra Leone

174,000

Marampa Emer relief & Rehab Project

TearFund

International

50,000

Explosive Remnants of war conference

Pax Christi

Guinea

500,000

Assist. To Liberian Refugees

UNHCR

West Africa

500,000

Regional Support for the Agency Appeal 2003

OCHA

Sierra Leone

500,000

Quick Impact Community-Based Assist. for Resettled IDPs

IOM

Ivory Coast

250,000

Emer. Water & Sanitation for Displaced Women & Children

UNICEF

Liberia

250,000

Emergency Health Needs for IDPs & Host Communities

UNICEF

Various

1,000,000

Demining Prog. in Afghan., Angola, Erit, Somaliland

Halo Trust

Afghanistan

1,500,000

Recovery funds

ARTF

Afghanistan

250,000

Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA)

UNDP

Afghanistan

500,000

Primary Education Programme

UNICEF

Burundi

190,000

IRC-IDP Rehabilitation Project

IRC

Central Africa

75,000

Policy and Research Funding

ICG

Central Asia

75,000

Policy and Research Funding

ICG

International

100,000

The Humanitarian Policy Group

ODI

Afghanistan

300,000

Post-Emer. Rehab. for Drought Affected Households

IRC

Afghanistan

300,000

Rural Nutrition & Mobile Health, Herat Prov.

MSF

Afghanistan

190,000

Community-Based Mine Awareness Prog.

Handicap International

Sierra Leone

187,000

Agricultural Rehabilitation

World Vision

India

180,000

Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation

World Vision

Sudan

300,000

Water & Sanitation Prog

Oxfam

Sierra Leone

205,000

Water & Sanitation in Marampa Chiefdom

TearFund

International

35,000

People in Aid's Global Work

People in Aid

Malawi

125,000

Democratisation & Good Governance Support Prog.

Public Affairs Ctte

Malawi

50,000

Co-ordination of Civil Society Networks

MEJN

Sudan

200,000

Reproductive Health Prog. Wau & Raga

IRC

Africa

100,000

Diamond Integrity Protection Project

Partnership Africa Canada

Malawi

500,000

Water & Sanitation Scheme

Concern Uni.

International

30,000

Worldwide Community Therapeutic Care

Concern

International

250,000

Capacity Building to Local Offices

IFRC

Africa

750,000

Protection Programmes

ICRC

Gambia/Senegal

150,000

Refugee Assistance

Concern Uni.

Total

9,961,000

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