Written answers

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Disaster Response

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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237. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community is alert to the difficulties of the victims of natural disasters on a worldwide scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15702/22]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Disasters caused by natural hazards affect more than 350 million people every year, in almost every country and territory. In addition to the tragic loss of life, disasters force millions from their homes and impact on their abilities to earn a living or grow food. It is too often the most vulnerable people in societies who are most affected by natural disasters, which impact disproportionately on women and girls.

In 2021, climate change joined conflict as a root cause of famine, as evidenced in drought-affected Madagascar. Storms and flooding are becoming more intense, while protracted and repeated droughts are the new norm in many countries. All too often these events are taking place in places where the institutional capacity to cope with such shocks is extremely limited.

At the beginning of each year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs publishes the Global Humanitarian Overview. This maps out global humanitarian needs, including countries suffering the impact of natural disasters, and is a guide to donors as to where their resource allocation can have maximum impact. The Overview is updated on a monthly basis. At the end of February, for example, an additional 540,000 people affected by Storm Anna in Malawi were included in the number of people in need of assistance.

While it is not possible to predict all natural disasters, an estimated half of today’s crises are somewhat predictable. Improvements in data and predictive analytics enable more accurate forecasting of certain types of shocks or crises and their likely impact. This supports the humanitarian community to respond before the crisis peaks. This approach has been used in response to drought in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa and floods Bangladesh.

Ireland is very supportive of this anticipatory action. We carefully select partners and funding mechanisms that are able to respond swiftly and efficiently to minimise the impact of natural disasters on the most vulnerable populations. At a UN High-Level Event on Anticipatory Action in September 2021, Ireland stated that in 2020 close to a quarter of its humanitarian funding - approximately €45 million out of a total €192 million - was channelled to mechanisms that support anticipatory action.

Ireland, together with other donors, continues to monitor the evolving needs of those suffering from the impact of natural disasters, drawing on the most up-to-date information and data to ensure that Irish Aid assistance continues to support the vulnerable populations most impacted by natural disasters, and is ready to respond quickly to emerging needs. The OECD, in a 2020 review of Irish Aid, found that Irish Aid's 'very flexible funding models, especially for humanitarian assistance, could provide useful inspiration to other.. donors.'

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which the international community is involved in directing aid to the various locations worldwide suffering from the effects of drought, war, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15703/22]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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At the beginning of each year the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs prepares a snapshot of global humanitarian needs, the Global Humanitarian Overview, which enables donor countries, including Ireland, to direct resources to where they are most needed.

The 2022 Global Humanitarian Overview shows a significant increase in the number of people in need, estimating that 183 million people in 63 countries require €37.31 billion in humanitarian assistance this year. Those figures have already increased due to the invasion of Ukraine and deteriorating conditions in other countries, including due to the emerging food crisis due to challenges to grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia.

Responding to the needs identified in the 2021 Global Humanitarian Overview, donors such as Ireland ensured that food, medicines, health care and other essential assistance and protection were delivered to 107 million people. The needs of the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls, were prioritised.

Each year, Flash Appeals are launch in response to emerging humanitarian needs, as happened last year for example in response to the drought in Southern Madagascar and Typhoon Rai/Odette in the Philippines.

Ireland continues to plays its part within the international humanitarian system: consistently ranked amongst the top 20 humanitarian donors, the OECD in its 2020 review of Irish Aid found Ireland to be ‘an excellent humanitarian partner’ whose ‘flexible funding models, especially for humanitarian assistance, could provide useful inspiration to other donors.’

Irish Aid’s humanitarian spend was €192 million in 2020, and final figures for 2021 will show a further increase. Irish Aid funding to UN agencies, the Red Cross Family and NGOs supports large-scale crises, such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen, while also supporting crisis response in places no longer in the headlines, for example the Central African Republic. In 2021 Irish Aid responded to a number of Flash Appeals, including the volcanic eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the earthquake in Haiti.

Importantly, Irish Aid funding is predictable and flexible, giving partners the ability to respond immediately to emerging needs and also to plan for multi-annual interventions where necessary. This approach has meant that partners had pre-positioned Irish Aid funding, enabling their immediate response to humanitarian needs in Ukraine and ensuring that there are structures in place on the ground to maximise the impact of the €20 million Irish Aid Ukraine humanitarian response package released in recent weeks.

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