Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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887. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the devastating floods which have hit Sahrawi refugee camps in south-west Algeria; that the camps provide shelter to 90,000 persons; that the flooding has caused a humanitarian crisis; and if he will consider providing support and aid to the affected refugees and organisations working there. [38109/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the difficult position of refugees in Tindouf, most of whom have been living there for up to forty years. The climate in this region is extremely harsh. Access to basic resources such as food, water, healthcare, housing and education, and opportunities for employment are very limited. This year, the EU has provided €10 million to improve the living conditions of the Sahrawi refugees. Ireland has raised concerns regarding the situation in Western Sahara on an ongoing basis, including through the Moroccan Embassy in Dublin, and in Geneva at Morocco’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. Last month, heavy rains and flooding in south western Algeria caused widespread damage to five camps providing shelter to some 90,000 Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf region. UNHCR is playing a leading role in the humanitarian response to the recent flooding, working with the Sahrawi refugee population, as well as the World Food Programme, UNICEF and other partners. UNHCR and its partners have begun to assist some 25,000 people whose homes and food supplies were damaged or destroyed. Ireland provides un-earmarked core funding to all of these agencies to allow swift response to crises as they occur. In addition, the International Federation of the Red Cross plans to allocate approximately €200,000 through its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to assist the Algerian Red Crescent in its work to assist the victims of the floods. My Department provided €1.1 million to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund this year. I believe that our core support to these agencies, who are well placed to respond rapidly to such crises, is the most effective way in which Ireland can support those affected by these floods.