Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 58: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the level of humanitarian funding being allocated to Kenya for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13016/06]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 79: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts being made, both at an Irish and EU level, to help alleviate the drought and connected difficulties being experienced in Kenya; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13119/06]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 134: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the level of financial support which Ireland has pledged towards helping alleviate the consequences of drought in Kenya; if more funding is envisaged; the manner in which these moneys are being utilised; his views on the need to fully fund the central emergency response fund, a body which, reports have stated, is currently underfunded with regard to the task at hand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13122/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 79 and 134 and together.

Kenya and its neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa are in the grip of a severe drought that is directly affecting up to 11 million people across the region. The drought has already killed thousands of livestock, depriving people of their livelihoods and leaving pastoral communities destitute. The impact of poor rainfall during the long rainy season of March to June last year has been compounded by the failure of the short rains in October-December. It is now estimated that 5 million people in Kenya alone now require food aid. Over 2.5 million Ethiopians and over 2 million Somalis are directly at risk. In addition, populations are suffering the effects of the drought in parts of Burundi, Djibouti and Eritrea.

Ireland has responded promptly to this emergency. In early February, over €5 million in emergency humanitarian funding was provided to agencies working in the Horn of Africa. A total of €3 million of this funding has been provided to the regional emergency response programmes of UN agencies and the International Federation of the Red Cross, while funding of over €1 million has been provided for Somalia and almost €1 million has been provided to the NGOs Concern and Trócaire for emergency programmes specifically in Kenya.

I have continued to monitor developments closely and have decided to make available further funding of €2 million. This will be allocated to key NGOs and international organisations working in response to the emergency, particularly in Somalia where there is the added challenge of providing humanitarian relief in an environment of intense insecurity.

At EU level, the European Commission announced last week that it is providing a further €5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to the affected region. This brings the Commission's total response to the drought in the region to €78 million, including €17 million in emergency response to the crisis.

In terms of strengthening the UN's capacity to respond to such crises, Ireland has also contributed €10 million to the central emergency response fund, CERF. Ireland played an active role, with a number of other countries, in advancing the proposal to set up the new CERF. This new mechanism provides UN agencies with a stand-by, grant-based fund to enable them to respond quickly to humanitarian emergencies.

This fund will ensure a more predictable and timely response to humanitarian crisis. For these reasons, it is vitally important that all Governments contribute to the best of their ability to the CERF and help close the gap between the assessment of humanitarian needs and the release of funds essential to meeting them.