Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals which have been put forward by the Government to the European Union for the replacement of the cattle stocks of the African drylands, home to 268 million people, 40% of the continent's population. [19702/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The current drought in the drylands of East Africa is affecting Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Tanzania. In Kenya, the Government has declared a state of emergency. Countless livestock have died as a result of severe drought in most of north eastern Kenya and other sections of the country. Further south towards the Tanzanian border, the Masaai herdsmen have lost most, if not all, of their cattle. Even though the rains have come in parts of Kenya, for most Masaai, it is too late. They have no income because they have no milk or cows to sell. A similar situation exists in southern Ethiopia. The drought has brought about emergency conditions in which people are at risk and are losing most of their livestock and thus their livelihoods.

Within the European Union, the lead role in dealing with the situation referred to by the Deputy is being taken by the European Commission. The Commission has already provided €78 million in aid to respond to the drought problem in the region. This covers both emergency response and the putting in place of contingency systems for the medium term. Further funding of €40 million will soon be disbursed, bringing the total to about €118 million.

The problem of drought and food insecurity in the region is structural, brought about by a range of complex factors: climate change; desertification; over-grazing; poverty; the structure of agricultural markets. For example, there is a bumper harvest in the west of Kenya at the same time as the north-east of the country is suffering a food crisis.

The Commission has developed a regional strategy for the area which seeks to address inter alia the problem of drought on a long-term basis, and to put in place a drought prevention/ preparation strategy. A Drought Contingency Plan will be supported by the 10th European Development Fund, aimed at providing a sustainable economic livelihood for the population of the region.

Ireland strongly supports the work of the Commission in the region and is maintaining contact with the Commission in relation to this. Moreover, in the context of the European Union's work to prepare a renewed sustainable development strategy, for adoption at the European Council next month, Ireland, in a written paper circulated to all our EU partners, highlighted the suffering in East Africa wrought by the negative effects of climate change, which affects weaker regions and poorer people to a disproportionate extent.

Ireland is deeply conscious of the challenges and is endeavouring to assist the populations affected in a number of ways. In 2005, Ireland provided over €3 million to the Consultative Group on International Agriculture (CGIAR), which supports agricultural research focused on poverty reduction in some of the world's poorest countries. As part of Ireland's support for CGIAR, €750,000 in funding was provided to the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Ireland is also supporting the drought relief effort in the affected regions. For example, in the Borena district of southern Ethiopia Ireland is supporting a project which is being carried out by Christian Aid in collaboration with the local authorities and a local church organization. Ireland is also providing funding to Trócaire in Kenya for an emergency response programme that includes restocking.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the combined aid of the international community is achieving success on the African continent, with particular reference to peace-keeping, peace-enforcement, alleviation of starvation, drought, human rights abuses, famine, HIV and Aids; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19658/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the countries on the African continent most seriously suffering from famine, war or human rights abuses; if he is satisfied regarding the adequacy and the effective targeting of international aid to these locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20020/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the 10 countries on the African continent deemed by the international community to be most vulnerable in terms of starvation, war, human rights abuse, HIV and AIDS; the extent to which aid or peacekeeping is succeeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20026/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 225 and 231 together.

Africa's enormous needs are due to a complex combination of factors including food insecurity, poverty, environmental degradation, weak policies, unequal trading relationships, conflict, severe infrastructural deficits, poor governance, debt and the effects of HIV/AIDS.

In response to such needs in Africa and elsewhere, the United Nations have developed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which represent the key measurable development targets that must be reached if the challenge of reducing poverty, hunger, disease and lack of development is to be met by 2015. The eight MDGs cover the eradication of poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, reducing child and maternal mortality, combating HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. While these goals are undoubtedly ambitious, they can be attained if the international community, including Ireland, plays its part in ensuring that Africa receives the assistance needed to reach them.

There is no internationally recognised system for ranking either the severity of humanitarian crisis situations around the world or countries deemed guilty of the greatest deficiencies in the administration of democracy and the observance of human rights. However, it is clear that there is a strong interrelationship between conflict, the abuse of human rights, food insecurity and poverty and that all these factors impact disastrously on levels of human development.

Africa is at the heart of Ireland's programme of official development assistance and our approach has a number of distinct but complementary elements. Our humanitarian budget responds to both complex and sudden-onset emergencies. Our recovery and long-term development programmes seek to assist countries emerging from natural and man-made emergencies and also address the fundamental causes of poverty in all its manifestations.

The core of our aid programme in Africa concerns development and in particular, building strong partnerships with six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, namely Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In addition, we work in many other African countries, either directly or through our partnerships with the United Nations and NGOs such as Concern, Goal, Trócaire and others. In the context of an increasing Irish Aid budget as we approach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP by 2012, we will be able to enhance our humanitarian, recovery and development interventions in Africa.

As regards issues of conflict, Ireland is contributing to the security and stability of Liberia through its deployment of troops with UNMIL, the UN Mission in Liberia, since 2003. Ireland has also provided assistance to the African Union (AU) for its mission in Sudan (AMIS), as part of the EU's joint actions to foster peace and security in Darfur. Ireland works with and seeks to enhance the effectiveness of, the multilateral framework provided by the UN. We have pledged support to the UN's Peace Building Fund and support the establishment of the UN's Peace Building Commission. We are actively seeking ways to support regional organizations in Africa, particularly the AU which represents an important strategic partner for the European Union and the international community generally.

The need for tangible success has been acknowledged by the international community. That is why we have committed to the Millennium Development Goals and set a target date of 2015. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, developed in the context of the MDGs' target date, is a new tool to ensure results-driven strategies and interventions. The degree to which we meet the MDGs by 2015 will measure the success or otherwise of our collective efforts to assist Africa to meet its development challenges.