Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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191. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding which has been provided for emergency relief in response to the recent humanitarian crises in Palestine and Sudan. [62978/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The increase in Ireland's ODA announced in Budget 2026 will enable us to further strengthen Ireland’s humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine and Sudan.

Last month, we announced an additional €6 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza as UN and humanitarian agencies worked to scale up assistance following the ceasefire. This new assistance is being provided through trusted partners: €2 million to UNICEF, €2 million to UN OCHA, €1 million to the World Food Programme, and €1 million to the World Health Organisation.

This brings Ireland’s support for the people of Palestine since October 2023 to over €89 million, and support in 2025 to over €35 million. This includes €20 million in core funding to UNRWA for 2025, bringing Ireland’s support to UNRWA to €58 million since the beginning of 2023. Ireland has also provided 177 tonnes of supplies including tents, blankets, water cans and other vital household items to Gaza under the Government's Rapid Response Initiative.

Work is currently under way to plan our support to Gaza and the people of Palestine for next year and to engage with the humanitarian structures for the people of Gaza.

Since April 2023, Ireland has provided €38.6 million to respond to the Sudan crisis, supporting communities in Sudan and those displaced in neighbouring countries. This year, we have provided €14.3 million in humanitarian assistance, including a new package of assistance of €3 million announced in September. Of this, €10.3 million is committed to support humanitarian work in Sudan and €4 million to support the humanitarian response for displaced populations in neighbouring countries. We are channelling our support to Sudan through the UN, including through the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and Irish NGOs, including Goal, Concern, Trócaire and Plan. It is providing food, medical supplies, household supplies and other life-saving aid to those most in need and supporting programmes to tackle malnutrition and sexual and gender-based violence.

The support provided this year is consistent with Ireland’s reputation as a substantial and reliable provider of assistance to the people of Sudan. In 2023 and 2024, Ireland provided €10.3 and €14 million respectively in emergency relief to address the crisis as a result of the conflict in the country. This assistance complements our work internationally to focus attention on the need for political action to end the conflict in Sudan, which has resulted in the most serious humanitarian crisis globally.