Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the humanitarian situation in Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18594/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The security situation in Iraq has greatly reduced the capacity of those working in the humanitarian field to provide assistance to the civilian population and has also resulted in a slowing down of reconstruction programmes in the country. Over the past months, many humanitarian agencies have been forced to leave Iraq altogether following armed attacks and kidnappings of aid workers. The House is well aware of the price paid by such dedicated and courageous humanitarians as our own Margaret Hassan, whose death in November of last year reminded us all of the risks involved in operating in an environment as dangerous as that of Iraq. Even the most dedicated and courageous, however, are finding it increasingly difficult to work in such circumstances. In early May, the International Committee of the Red Cross, which had been the only international relief agency to maintain a continuous operational presence in central, southern and northern parts of Iraq since the start of the current conflict, was compelled to suspend virtually all assistance activities in the country.

Problems of humanitarian access mean that it is difficult to get precise statistics on the extent of the suffering of the civilian population. According to UN agency and Red Cross reports, large numbers of civilians have been displaced and essential services, such as water, health care, electricity and education, have been severely disrupted in many areas because of both the actions of insurgents and the military response of the coalition forces to the insurgency. The humanitarian situation is especially worrying in and around areas such as Fallujah, Ramadi, Kirkuk, Mosul and Al-Qaim.

Since the beginning of the current conflict, the Government has committed itself to providing assistance to the Iraqi people. In 2003, assistance worth €5 million was delivered by Ireland to meet the immediate emergency humanitarian needs of some of the most vulnerable in that country. Funding was delivered through key NGO partners such as Concern, Goal and Trócaire and through UN and international agencies such as the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Red Cross family.

In October 2003, the Government pledged a further €3 million at the donors' conference on Iraq in Madrid. To date, €1.5 million of this pledge has been delivered. Some €1 million has been channelled through the international reconstruction facility for Iraq to support UNICEF's primary education programme. Some €500,000 has been delivered to the NGO AMAR for health care programmes to assist the Marsh Arab population of southern Iraq, which suffered considerably under the former regime.

The ongoing security situation in Iraq and the operational constraints on humanitarian organisations have impacted on the draw-down of pledged funding. However, the Government remains ready to commit the balance of the funding as soon as suitable humanitarian programmes, which can be delivered in this challenging environment, are identified by UN or international agencies and NGOs.