Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 74: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will support full humanitarian access to the people of South Kordofan in Sudan. [24539/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 74 together.

The Government shares the grave concerns expressed by aid agencies regarding the humanitarian situation in the South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains regions of Sudan. Prolonged fighting since the beginning of June 2011 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM North) in Sudan's South Kordofan State has claimed an untold number of lives and has severely affected over 300,000 people. According to the UN, the total number of refugees from South Kordofan and Blue Nile states seeking refuge in neighbouring South Sudan now stands at over 129,000 people, putting pressure on an already limited humanitarian response capacity in the world's youngest State.

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. We are 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 humanitarian access at EU level, as well as at other international fora.

I note that the correspondence referred to by the Deputy states that Trócaire welcomes the EU Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on Sudan and South Sudan adopted at the meeting which I attended meeting on 23 April. These Conclusions were intended to send a clear message to the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, and their proxy military forces, to bring an end to violence and to re-engage in the negotiation process. In these conclusions, EU Ministers 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.

The EU has consistently and repeatedly emphasised the urgent need for humanitarian access to civilians in its interventions on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan. In January last, with Ireland's encouragement, European Union Foreign Ministers 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 supports that the EU would like to provide to Sudan. The issue of humanitarian access and the need for Sudan to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law have also been emphasised in statements made on behalf of the EU by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on the conflict in South Kordofan, including most recently in her statement of 3 April. Ireland fully aligns itself with these statements.

Despite the serious challenges, humanitarian agencies are managing to gain limited access to some vulnerable communities in South Kordofan. Both the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund have provided assistance to displaced people and affected host communities. Through Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Government has recently allocated €2 million 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 are actively examining the possibility of providing further support as access conditions improve and the needs on the ground become clearer.

The Government will continue to monitor closely the situation in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains, and along with our EU partners we will continue to press for unrestricted humanitarian access to affected civilians.