Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make a statement regarding the his position on the humanitarian situation in the South Kordofan region of Sudan [23727/12]

Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 154: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the serious and humanitarian needs of the affected population in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, if he will call for full humanitarian access to be facilitated by the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23894/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together. The Government shares the grave concerns expressed by both Deputies for the welfare of the people in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. Prolonged fighting since the beginning of June 2011 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N rebel group), in Sudan's South Kordofan State has claimed an untold number of lives and has severely affected over 300,000 people.This year some 33,000 people have fled South Kordofan and have sought refuge in neighbouring South Sudan, putting pressure on already limited humanitarian response capacity in that young nation. Ireland, together with our EU partners is responding to the situation and is supporting efforts to bring an end to the continuing conflict in the region. Ireland remains particularly concerned about the issue of humanitarian access for NGOs and international relief agencies to the areas affected by conflict. We have raised the issue of access at a number of EU and international fora. In January last, and with Ireland's encouragement, the European Union urged the Government of Sudan to allow safe and unhindered access for international humanitarian workers to all civilians and reiterated its readiness to provide humanitarian assistance to all those in need. The EU also emphasised that the ongoing conflicts in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur remain obstacles to moving forward with the full range of support that the EU would like to provide to Sudan. Last month, the EU called on the Government of Sudan and the SPLM North to engage in an inclusive political process to resolve the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. On 2 May, the United Nations Security Council adopted a Resolution condemning the recent cross-border conflict between Sudan and South Sudan including support to proxy forces and aerial bombardment. The Resolution called on both parties to immediately cease all hostilities within 48 hours of the adoption of the resolution, to withdraw their forces to their side, to activate previously agreed on security mechanisms and to resume negotiations under the auspices of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), under threat of sanctions. Despite challenges, humanitarian agencies are managing to gain limited access to some vulnerable communities in South Kordofan. Both the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have provided assistance to displaced people and affected host communities.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the Irish Aid programme, has recently allocated €2 million in funding for the UN-managed Common Humanitarian Funds for both the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan.These funds are being used to help UN agencies target the most critical humanitarian needs across both countries, including in areas beset by conflict and affected by displacement from Blue Nile and South Kordofan.A further €1.22 million has been made available to Irish NGOs for programmes in Sudan and South Sudan under the annual Humanitarian Programme Planning (HPP) funding scheme. We stand ready to provide further support as access conditions improve and the needs on the ground become clearer. I can assure Deputies that Ireland will continue to closely monitor the situation in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, and along with our EU partners we will continue to call for unrestricted humanitarian access to affected civilians.