Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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192. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional humanitarian assistance the Government will provide to Burma/Myanmar in light of the impending risk of famine in Rakhine state, potentially affecting up to two million people and the broader worsening humanitarian situation across the country and the reduction of USAID to humanitarian programmes in Burma/Myanmar and the border regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9577/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Four years since the military coup in Myanmar, the Government remains seriously concerned at the situation in the country. Almost 20 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Myanmar. This includes more than 3.5 million displaced internally. Some 15.2 million are facing acute food insecurity, including 2.3 million with high levels of acute malnutrition .

The situation is particularly serious in Rakhine State, where there is an imminent risk of famine, with two million people potentially facing starvation within months. This food insecurity and continued violence, particularly in northern Rakhine, continue to drive many Rohingya to flee the country, including to Bangladesh.

In 2024, the UN's humanitarian response in Myanmar received less than 40% of the funding it needed, with the United States providing one third of all funding received. We are assessing, with other partners, the potential impact of decisions in relation to USAID funding for 2025.

In the four years since the coup, Ireland has provided more than €11 million in humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Myanmar and the region, including funding to the Rohingya refugee regional crisis response and deployment of two rapid responders. This year, we are providing €1.5 million through the UN Myanmar Humanitarian Fund, an increase of €500,000 on 2024. We will also provide €1.5 million to UNHCR in support of the Rohingya refugee crisis regional response. Through Ireland's Civil Society Partnership scheme €790,000 will also be provided to Trócaire and Christian Aid Ireland for their 2025 Myanmar humanitarian response, bringing total humanitarian funding from 2021 to 2025 to just under €15 million.

In addition to this direct humanitarian support, Ireland has provided support via the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a major donor to the Myanmar response. In 2024 CERF provided over €16 million to the Myanmar response. Ireland's total 2024 contribution to the CERF was €14 million.

At the UN and elsewhere, Ireland has repeatedly condemned the coup in Myanmar, drawing attention to the dire human rights and humanitarian situation and called for the military to immediately cease all human rights abuses and attacks against civilians. We will continue to engage actively on the Myanmar crisis, nationally, through the UN, at EU level and in our engagement with regional partners. We also continue to fully support ASEAN's efforts to resolve the crisis, including in relation to the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid.