Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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897. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which women and girls, continue to be targeted by the Boko Haram; taken as hostages are being released; the efforts being made to assist in their release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38403/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The brutal activities of Boko Haram continue to represent a serious threat to the peace and security of Nigeria, and to the wider region. They also involve the clear and persistent abuse of human rights, especially of women and girls. The abduction in April 2014 of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok appalled the world. It has been one of a number of attacks on defenceless young people, seeking to destroy their education and their futures. I am encouraged by reports that 338 captives, almost all women and children, were rescued last week by the Nigerian army from Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa forest in the north-east of the country. However, I am dismayed that none of the girls abducted from the school in Chibok has yet been rescued. The Government has consistently condemned the acts of violence being perpetrated by Boko Haram. At a meeting convened by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 30 June and at a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 April, we highlighted the terrible human rights and humanitarian impact of the terrorist violence. The extent of the humanitarian crisis, including the threat to women and children, has also been emphasised by EU Foreign Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council on 9 February.

The EU has pledged to continue providing immediate relief to those in need and to increase its efforts at a regional level. Ireland is providing support of nearly €1.4 million this year to address the humanitarian needs of those affected by Boko Haram activities, including Nigerian refugees in Northern Cameroon.

It is the responsibility of the Nigerian Government, as well as of its military authorities, to create a secure environment in which the human rights of civilians are promoted and protected, including in those areas affected by Boko Haram.

The new President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was inaugurated on 29 May. I welcome his comments on the need to address corruption and security threats, including those posed by Boko Haram. I would again urge the Government of Nigeria to commit the necessary resources to finding the women and girls who are being held hostage so that they can be returned to their families without delay.

We will continue to monitor the situation through our Embassy in Abuja, which is in regular contact with the Government of Nigeria on developments, and will ensure, with our EU partners, that we maintain the focus on the human rights abuses being perpetrated against innocent civilians, and especially young people, in the region.