Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps taken to date to rebuild Gaza following pledges made at a conference in Cairo in 2014; the aid committed by the Government to this project; the actual expenditure by the Government on this project to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24065/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The conflict in Gaza two years ago compounded an already serious humanitarian situation, with a high level of civilian casualties, large scale internal displacement and massive damage to the already fragile infrastructure. At the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference, held in Cairo in October 2014, donors pledged USD3.5 billion to support recovery efforts in Gaza in the aftermath of the conflict.

The World Bank is taking the lead on monitoring pledges made at the Conference and its most recent report of 19 April 2016 indicates that USD1.409 billion has been disbursed, which represents 40% of the funding pledged. I am aware that the current rate of disbursement is less than expected, contributing to a pace of reconstruction much slower than needed. According to the report, only 9% of totally damaged houses and 45% of partially damaged houses have so far been rebuilt, and 14,800 families continue to be displaced. While recent indications are that residential reconstruction is picking up momentum, the amount of construction material imported into Gaza continues to be lower than needed.

As an immediate response to the Gaza crisis, Ireland provided €500,000 in July 2014 to the Emergency Appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to help provide urgently needed food, shelter and medical aid to thousands of families many of whom had to flee their homes.

At the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference, I pledged a further €2.5 million towards urgent immediate needs and long term recovery efforts. €2 million of this has been provided to UNRWA’s Gaza Emergency Appeal. During my visit to the Middle East last month, I met with UNRWA’s Deputy Commissioner General, Sandra Mitchell, who provided me with a detailed briefing on the very significant progress made in rebuilding UNRWA’s educational and medical facilities. I was pleased to announce at that time, a further €500,000 for UNRWA’s response in Gaza. This fulfils our pledge of €2.5 million made at the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference in 2014 and brings our total support to the Gaza crisis to €3 million.

Ireland has met its pledge in full in the timeframe specified and I would urge all countries to fulfil their pledges. It should be recalled, of course, that many of the pledges made, like Ireland’s, were to be phased over a period of time. Many States also made clear that their willingness to donate was linked to progress in discussions to ensure that this type of conflict did not happen again. Unfortunately there has been little progress in this regard.

Ireland will continue to press, at EU level and elsewhere, to maintain focus on the humanitarian needs in Gaza and for an end to the continuing blockade.