Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 27: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position on the provision of humanitarian aid to Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36419/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The humanitarian situation in Syria has deteriorated rapidly in the past number of months. Estimates of those affected by the violence range from 1.5 to 3 million, with the lack of precise data indicative of the challenging situation on the ground for both humanitarian actors and the media. In the year since the current crisis began in March 2011, more than 11,000 deaths have been reported. Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has registered and assisted more than 110,000 refugees in neighbouring countries. With the situation worsening in many areas, the refugee population has increased by 10,000 in the last two weeks alone. Moreover, pre-existing vulnerabilities amongst the 100,000 Iraqi and 500,000 Palestinian refugees living in Syria are being exacerbated as a result of the ongoing unrest. Food prices have tripled in some areas raising the risk of malnutrition, undermining livelihoods and increasing tensions between displaced and host communities.

Given the increasingly difficult situation on the ground, EU Member States, including Ireland have been mobilising substantial funding to help aid agencies respond to the crisis. In this regard, the Tánaiste approved €500,000 in emergency funding for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP). These funds are being used to provide both immediate relief within Syria and help to those forced to flee to neighbouring countries.

We remain particularly worried by the ongoing restrictions on humanitarian access and have therefore been insisting on the full implementation of Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan. Ireland continues to engage at an international level to help find a sustainable solution to the crisis, especially to find ways to assist those Syrians most affected by the unrest. Towards this end, we have participated at a high political level in the meetings of the 'Friends of Syria' , with the Tánaiste attending the conference in Tunis in February as well as the follow-up meeting held earlier this month in Paris. Ireland has also been actively involved in both UN and EU discussions on humanitarian access and the needs on the ground, including in the context of the meetings of the 'Humanitarian Forum on Syria' in Geneva.

Finally, we are also working closely with our humanitarian partners across the region in order to identify other potential areas of support. We will continue to explore suitable options which would help to meet the priority humanitarian needs of the Syrian population, both inside the country and at its borders.