Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the humanitarian situation in the West African region; if there is a weakness in the Ministerial response system to this area; if the UN are correct in their call that upwards of 300,000 children may die in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39318/06]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of children who have died in the Sahara region of west Africa due to poor harvest, deepening food crises, high market prices and lack of social support over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39725/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 200 together.

The humanitarian situation across West Africa remains a matter of the deepest concern. A number of countries, such as Sierra Leone and Liberia, are only now emerging from a bitter and destructive civil war, while conflict persists in some other states in the region such as the Ivory Coast. At the same time, the countries of the Sahel, specifically Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger, continue to exhibit extreme vulnerability due to climactic changes and desertification. The situation of the most vulnerable in these societies is of the utmost concern — a concern voiced forcefully by the United Nations earlier this year, which highlighted the fact that it is those most vulnerable sections of the community, notably women and children, which have borne the brunt of both the natural and man-made disasters which have afflicted the region in recent years.

Ireland provides emergency and recovery funding in response to humanitarian needs across the region:

Since 2005, Ireland has had a development cooperation office in Freetown which oversees programmes in Sierra Leone and in neighbouring Liberia. This year, funding of over €6.8 million has been provided to assist in the recovery process in both countries;

In the Sahel region, funding assistance of €7 million has been allocated for humanitarian assistance in 2006;

Ireland's funding partnership programme with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) provided funding of €1.5 million in 2006 and 2007, which is being partly utilised to help National Red Cross Societies in West Africa build local capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies.

Last year, the food crisis in Niger and surrounding countries highlighted a weakness in the system of international humanitarian response. Once the food security situation emerged, Ireland responded in a prompt and timely manner with support of €3 million to Niger and Burkina Faso as the most seriously-affected countries. Fortunately, the situation was quickly addressed and alleviated. In addition, a subsequent healthy harvest eased the most immediate needs.

The situation in Niger in 2005 helped to highlight the case for an enhanced international capacity to respond better to such crises. One result of this was the strengthening of the United Nation's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This fund now enables the UN to have immediate access to grant-based stand-by funding, thereby speeding response to rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situations. Ireland has contributed €10 million to the CERF in 2006 and we will double our funding in 2007, with a pledge of a further €20 million for 2007 at the forthcoming pledging conference in New York. I will travel to New York on that occasion for discussions with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Jan Egeland, to review global responses to situations like that in the Sahel region.

I can assure the Deputy that this region remains of concern for Ireland and we are committed to ensuring that the vulnerable populations there receive the humanitarian assistance which they require, in a timely and effective manner.