Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the call by the United Nations that unless sufficient funds are made available upwards of 300,000 children may die in west Africa in 2006 in nations bordering the Sahara desert; the amount which Ireland has pledged to this effort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13108/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The humanitarian situation in the Sahel region of west Africa remains a matter of deepest concern to me. In 2005, the deepening food crisis in Niger and surrounding countries highlighted a weakness in the international response system. The urgency of the situation took too long to come to light and the response was delayed as a result. At the time, Ireland responded in a prompt and timely manner with support of €3 million to Niger and Burkina Faso as the most seriously affected countries. Thankfully, the situation was quickly alleviated and a good harvest eased immediate needs.

The situation in Niger helped make the case for an enhanced international capacity to respond to such crises. The creation of the United Nation's Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, will now enable the UN and NGOs to access grant-based, stand-by funding and thereby speed their response to rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situations. Ireland has contributed €10 million to the operation of the CERF, which I believe represents a vital contribution to strengthening the international capacity to response to humanitarian crises.

Despite the 2005 harvest, many people across the Sahel region remain vulnerable in 2006. Accumulated debts, lack of social supports, persistent chronic malnutrition and high market prices for maize remain serious obstacles to recovery. Recognising this ongoing vulnerability, Ireland responded before this latest UN appeal was launched. In February, I allocated funding of €500,000 to the UN world food programme for its ongoing work in Niger to assist those most vulnerable to food shortages. In addition, Ireland's funding partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross, IFRC, which I have recently approved, will provide €1.5 million in 2006 and 2007 to assist the national Red Cross societies in this region to build local capacity to respond to such emergencies as they may arise in the future.

I can assure the Deputy that this region remains a priority for Ireland and that our focus remains on ensuring that the vulnerable populations receive the humanitarian assistance they require in a timely and effective manner.