Irish Aid support to Typhoon Haiyan relief effort to exceed €3 million

Irish Aid support to Typhoon Haiyan relief effort to exceed €3 million – Minister Costello

The Government has announced an additional €1.6 million in aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, bringing the total funds committed by Ireland to more than €3million. The funding will be channelled through trusted NGO partners and will support the provision of shelter, food, water and health services to the 13 million people affected by Typhoon Haiyan. This funding is in addition to:

• €1million funding announced on 11 November by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D.
• €500,000 worth of emergency supplies airlifted on 13 November to the Philippines that are currently being distributed to victims of the typhoon

Two members of Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps have also deployed to the Philippines to assist UN relief teams there. Further deployments and additional airlifts are anticipated.

Announcing the additional funding, Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello T.D., said:

‘Ireland acted quickly to respond to Typhoon Haiyan, but as the magnitude of this disaster has become clear, it is all too apparent that further assistance is required. The situation is critical. Immediate threats to life include lack of safe drinking water, lack of shelter, trauma injuries, lack of sufficient food, lack of access to sanitation and personal hygiene. Our aid is being targeted directly to address these urgent needs.

Minister Costello also stressed the importance of improved coordination amongst donors to ensure that the aid which has already been delivered reaches the most needy as quickly as possible:

'The international community has learned many lessons from previous crises, such as the 2004 Tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Ireland has supported subsequent efforts by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to establish clear systems to allow the most effective, efficient and rapid delivery of aid possible. Ireland will continue to make every effort to ensure our response is timely and effective, and meets the most critical, immediate needs'

17 November 2013

Press Office

Note for Editors

• Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas development programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

• Breakdown of funding from Irish Aid for Typhoon Haiyan relief effort:

• €2.25 million (including initial pledge of €1 million) has been allocated to trusted NGOs following a call for proposals. Programmes will focus on the provision of emergency food and non-food items; water, sanitation and hygiene; emergency health care; and child protection.  Activities will benefit up to 50,000 households.  The funding recipients are:

o   Christian Aid

o   Goal

o   Oxfam

o   Plan

o   Medicins Sans Frontières

o   Trócaire

o   World Vision

• €425,000 of funding fromIreland’s Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS) has been approved. The funding is pre-positioned with key NGO partners to allow for a quick release of funding in the event of a sudden-onset disaster. Drawdown requests have been approved from

o   Goal

o   Oxfam

o   Trócaire

• €510,000of Irish Aid emergency supplies were airlifted into the Philippines on 13 November. The airlift, which contained over 100 tonnes of supplies, comprised:
  • 599 tents,
  • 700 tarpaulins
  • 10,000 blankets
  • 880 ropes 

• Two members of Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps member deployed today. An Irish Captain and engineer in the Defence Forces has deployed to support WFP’s operations in the Philippines and another Rapid Response Corps member has deployed to support UNICEF’s operations.

• The Rapid Response Corps is a roster of experienced humanitarian experts available to deploy at short notice in the event of a humanitarian emergency.

• Individual members of the roster are deployed under the standby partnership programme with UN agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOCHA, and WFP) and other humanitarian organisations in need of their specific skills.  Those agencies and organisations have the requisite knowledge and experience to determine where gaps exist and how to use Irish personnel optimally.