Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The fight against hunger and malnutrition is a key priority of Ireland's international development programme. The numbers affected by hunger are rising globally, and the food security situation in the Horn of Africa is particularly acute, including in Somalia where experts are warning of an imminent risk, as the Deputy clearly outlined, of widespread famine.

I saw for myself the devastation in the Horn of Africa during my recent visit to the region. In response to the rapidly deteriorating situation, the Government is providing more than €100 million in assistance to countries across the region this year. This includes €30 million in immediate emergency funding, which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, worked on for the budget this year. Of this additional funding, a significant portion will go directly to our partners who are active in Somalia to meet the needs of those affected by the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country. This will build on the €65 million in direct humanitarian funding provided by Ireland to Somalia since 2012.

Ireland contributes to the humanitarian response in Somalia through funds such as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, which responds to crises as they emerge. The CERF has contributed over €76 million in emergency relief in Somalia since 2021.

Ireland has been a long-standing champion of global efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition. At the December 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit, Ireland pledged €800 million over the next five years for nutrition programmes. At the UN in September, we pledged an additional €50 million over three years to fight acute child malnutrition, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, and United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF.

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