Written answers

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Humanitarian Aid

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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190. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if additional humanitarian assistance will be provided for South Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35170/15]

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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South Sudan is experiencing one of the most severe large-scale humanitarian crises in the world today. Widespread violence from the bitter civil war which broke out in December 2013 has forced 2.2 million people to flee their homes. More than 1.6 million people have been displaced internally and 620,000 people have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, including more than 320,000 children who are living as refugees in Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya. Despite the recently signed peace agreement, the humanitarian crisis remains extremely worrying. Security conditions in South Sudan remain volatile with sporadic fighting being reported across the country. More than 4 million people are suffering from acute hunger and one in three children are severely malnourished.

Since December 2013, Ireland has provided €16.7 million to support UN agencies and international and national NGOs in their life-saving work in South Sudan and the region. We are committed to continuing Ireland’s support and, earlier this week, I approved an additional €2 million in humanitarian funding for the region.

€1 million of this funding will be provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (ICRC) for their operations in South Sudan. The ICRC has a strong track record on delivering humanitarian assistance and is often best placed to provide assistance in conflict situations, as they can gain access where other organisations may not be able to operate.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will also receive €1 million of this additional funding. This will allow for a more focused response to address malnutrition, and provide health screening and shelter to South Sudanese refugees in the region.

I am confident that this additional funding will assist in alleviating the suffering of some in South Sudan, though I remain acutely aware that this is a humanitarian situation that we need to monitor closely and continue to support in the months and years ahead.

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