Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the response from Ireland to the damage to areas in southern Bangladesh from the recent cyclone, which it is claimed might result in over 1,000 casualties; and the efforts being made by Ireland and the European Union to alleviate the distress of those affected, injured and displaced by this tragedy. [30864/07]

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Cyclone Sidr, with wind speeds of up to 240 kilometres per hour, hit Bangladesh on the evening of 15 November. The storm caused extensive damage to the southern districts of the country. More than 4 million people in 28 southern districts are now known to have been directly affected by the cyclone. As of 20 November, the Government of Bangladesh had reported a death toll of 3,447 people, although this may rise. It is estimated that over 300,000 homes were destroyed and a further 626,000 houses were partially damaged. An estimated 870,000 acres of crops were affected. Extensive damage to roads, schools and public buildings is also evident.

I announced on 16 November initial assistance of €500,000 to those affected by Cyclone Sidr. This funding will be distributed through partner relief organisations operating in the region and will help meet the immediate needs of those worst affected. Funding of approximately €10 million is committed to the Cyclone Sidr emergency from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to which Ireland provided €20 million in January of this year. The CERF was established specifically to be able to immediately respond to emergencies such as Cyclone Sidr and I am glad that it is proving effective.

In addition, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) allocated approximately €175,000 from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond to the urgent needs of the population affected by Cyclone Sidr. Ireland is also a significant contributor to that fund, having contributed €1 million in 2006 as part of our two year agreement with the IFRC. The European Commission has announced funding of €6.5 million to assist the victims of Cyclone Sidr. This funding will help provide water, food, shelter and household items to those affected by the cyclone.

It is important to note and commend the exceptional work done by the Government of Bangladesh in disaster preparedness. An effective early warning system and a network of shelters in vulnerable coastal areas helped ensure that the loss of life in this instance was not even greater. Ireland has already pledged €125,000 to disaster preparedness projects in Bangladesh in 2007. This is in addition to emergency funding of €640,000 provided earlier this year for victims of previous floods in Bangladesh.