Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A total of 2.6 million people are displaced in the region. It is about the scale of the problem. I welcome the fact the Irish Government and the Department are involved in our response to it. Reports are coming in from Doctors without Borders on mortality rates in the camps being five times what is considered an emergency. There are reports of mothers failing to lactate and their children are starving. Institutional failures have exacerbated the situation. It is a manmade famine and is down to Boko Haram, but the government there has not exactly covered itself in glory in its response. It is about whatever the international community can do. Progress is too slow in recognising the enormity of the situation. Will the Minister of State accept we need to act urgently? I recognise what he said with regard to monitoring the situation, but we need to take further action on this matter.

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