Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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615. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to allocate additional funding towards the provision of humanitarian aid for Syria and that general region, given the ongoing conflict, the appalling loss of lives and the need to get essential humanitarian aid to persons living in desperate conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29633/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The crisis in Syria and the region is now in its fifth year. The human impact of the violence and displacement of communities has been devastating. Some 220,000 Syrians have been killed, and over 4 million have fled as refugees to surrounding countries. Ireland is particularly mindful of the impact of the crisis on neighbouring countries which are supporting large populations of vulnerable refugees. My colleague, Minister of State Sherlock, represented Ireland at the third international pledging conference for Syria, which was held in Kuwait on 31 March. He announced that Ireland will provide a further €12 million in 2015 in humanitarian assistance for those suffering as a result of the conflict. Ireland has been one of the most generous international contributors to the Syria humanitarian response on a per capita basis. The delivery of our pledge for 2015 will bring the Government’s overall response to the crisis to €41 million by the end of this year. Ireland’s humanitarian assistance is delivered through our trusted UN, Red Cross and NGO partners. Ireland’s support has been focused on supporting people displaced within Syria and those across the wider region, including in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

One of the most difficult features of this crisis is that many of those who are most in need are beyond the reach of humanitarian workers. Both the Syrian Government and armed opposition groups are using siege tactics and heavy weaponry in populated areas. The targeting of humanitarian workers by the group Islamic State (ISIS) means that millions living in the areas which ISIS currently controls do not receive the help they so desperately need. The UN has responded by delivering cross-border aid, even where the Syrian Government has withheld permission.

We will continue to address the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and provide urgent assistance and support to the civilian populations within Syria and neighbouring countries. However, we also recognise that such efforts can only address the humanitarian crisis and that international efforts must be strengthened for a long term political solution in Syria and the wider region.