Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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216. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which Ireland and the United Nations is continuously alert to the various locations worldwide that remain sensitive to hunger, starvation and human rights abuses with the view to rapid response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49413/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland works with the UN to monitor global crises continuously.  At the beginning of each year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) sets out the needs in the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO). During the course of the year, OCHA compiles monthly updates to reflect the changing number and nature of crises, including the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance. 

In addition, there are a number of mechanisms to monitor the levels of food insecurity, particularly in conflict-affected contexts. The World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organisation publish a bi-annual ‘Hotspot Report’ that identifies the key hunger hotspots and important trends in food insecurity.  As the UN Security Council informal co-lead on conflict and hunger, Ireland has brought this report to the UN Security Council for discussion and urgent action.

UN Security Council Resolution 2417 provides the mandate for OCHA to report to the Council on instances of conflict-induced famine. The most recent such report, in August, detailed instances of conflict-induced famine in Northern Ethiopia, Yemen, South Sudan and North-East Nigeria. Ireland, together with Brazil, led a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the report and advocate for swift action.

Ireland has as strong track-record as a principled humanitarian donor and our assistance is provided based on the level of need and need alone. The GHO informs Ireland’s allocation decisions at the beginning of the year. While we respond to large-scale humanitarian crises such as Ukraine and Syria, less visible crises such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remain front and centre in our response.

During the course of the year, Ireland allocates additional funding for sudden onset crises and for rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crises. Decisions are informed by the GHO monthly updates and the updates on conflict and hunger referred to above. We also receive information and briefings from our partners on the ground. This year, Ireland has provided additional humanitarian funding in response to the crises in Ukraine, the Horn of Africa and the floods in Pakistan. Most recently, the Government provided an additional €30 million to support urgent efforts to prevent famine in the Horn of Africa this year. 

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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217. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if precise action is being undertaken through Irelands membership of the United Nations in response to various trouble spots throughout the globe with the view to offering aid, medical assistance or other relief to such trouble spots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49414/22]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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As an election member of the UN Security Council since January 2021, Ireland has been a vocal and consistent advocate for urgent attention and action on global humanitarian crises.  We lead by example, through our highly respected programme of humanitarian assistance. At the Security Council, Ireland has been to the fore in calling for principled responses to humanitarian crises across the globe and respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Ireland is consistently ranked in the top 20 humanitarian donors in terms of total humanitarian support GNI. Our humanitarian funding has grown steadily in recent years, reaching €192 million in 2020. This accounts for over 20% of total ODA. The final figures for 2021 and 2022 will exceed that amount.

Ireland responds to crises across the globe, guided by humanitarian principles and informed by the needs on the ground. While we respond to large-scale humanitarian crises such as Ukraine and Syria, less visible crises such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remain front and centre to our response. At least 90% of our country specific funding supports the most severe humanitarian crises. We have a strong focus on reaching those most in need, including women, girls and people living with disabilities.

Ireland channels its funding through a range of partnerships with the UN system, the Red Cross Family, civil society organisations, as well as through the European Union. These partners have a strong track-record of providing humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance, to the most vulnerable communities.

In  Budget 2023, the Government announced an additional €30 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the devastating drought and food security crisis in countries in the Horn of Africa for the rest of this year.  This is in addition to €77 million provided to the response over the last 19 months.

As part of Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative, emergency relief supplies/humanitarian stocks are pre-positioned in the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) network of hubs around the world. This is a network of strategically located depots or hubs that procures, stores, and transports emergency relief supplies on behalf of the humanitarian community. In 2022, Ireland has worked with our partners to successfully deliver humanitarian stocks to Malawi, DRC and Somalia. Ireland also currently has 11 expert rapid responders in placements with UN agencies across the globe.