Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2019
59. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assistance his Department is providing to Mozambique to recover from the devastation brought by Cyclone Idai (details supplied); and if he will report the response of Ireland to the disaster and humanitarian crisis. [17561/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCyclone Idai has had a devastating effect across Southern Africa, with over 1,000 people killed, and over three million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Mozambique has been particularly badly affected, with an estimated 1.85m people affected.
Ireland has to date directly allocated over €2.3 million to the crisis response across the region, including contributions to the International Federation of the Red Cross, the World Food Programme, the air lifting of life-saving relief supplies to Mozambique, and funding to Irish NGOs for emergency response.
Given the particular level of need in Mozambique, we have allocated over €1.9 million to the crisis response in the country to date. Ireland’s Embassy in Mozambique is working with partners on the ground in response to the crisis, and will continue its work to ensure that Ireland’s development cooperation programme in Mozambique supports the most vulnerable now and in the future.
Ireland also contributes to humanitarian response through our support to the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund. Ireland has been one of the top ten donors to this Fund since its creation in 2005, and contributed €10 million in 2019. $20 million funding from CERF was released immediately following the impact of Cyclone Idai, ensuring that an international humanitarian response could be implemented quickly.
As a Member State of the EU, Ireland also directly contributes to EU humanitarian assistance. We welcome the allocation of over €15 million by the EU to the humanitarian response to Cyclone Idai.
