Urgently needed supplies for displaced people in Iraq

Ireland to send urgently-needed supplies for people displaced by violence in Iraq

Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, has announced that Ireland will dispatch urgently-needed blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans, and shelter supplies to those displaced by recent violence in Iraq. 

The airlift, worth €220,000, is being sent from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Dubai, where Irish Aid pre-positions supplies for use in global emergencies.  The stocks will be distributed by Goal, which recently received €200,000 from the Government to provide emergency relief to the most vulnerable displaced populations in Ninewa Governorate in Northern Iraq.

Minister Costello also announced an allocation of €75,000 to Christian Aid Ireland, which will be used to procure food and essential non food items for internally displaced persons affected by the violence. Christian Aid Ireland has an established presence and strong partnership with three local organisations in Northern Iraq and a strong focus on the protection of women and girls.

"The violence we are witnessing has had devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of already vulnerable children, women and men. The danger is that the impact on internally displaced people will increase over the coming weeks. 

"In view of the dire humanitarian consequences of the worsening security situation in Iraq, I have authorised further assistance in the form of essential relief items and funding to support the urgent emergency needs of vulnerable families displaced by the recent fighting, the majority of whom are women and children. 

"I again call upon all those involved in the current conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law, to ensure that civilians are protected,  to ensure safe and unhindered access to humanitarian  agencies and furthermore to ensure safe passage for those leaving areas directly affected by the fighting."

Press Office 

29 June 2014 

Notes to the editor: 

• 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. For further information see www.irishaid.ie 
• With the current escalation of the large scale armed conflict, there are now nearly 2 million people displaced within Iraq, nearly 1 million of whom have been displaced since January 2014, including an estimated 500,000 people displaced from Mosul City and surrounding areas and a further 480,000 who have fled fighting in Anbar Governorate since the beginning of the year. 
• Through its Rapid Response Initiative, Irish Aid has established a strategic partnership with the World Food Programme, which manages the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) Network. The Network maintains a stockpile of emergency humanitarian supplies in five hubs around the globe.  The hubs are in Accra, Brindisi, Dubai, Panama and Subang.  
• With this announcement, Ireland’s total contribution to humanitarian programmes in Iraq for the period 2006-2014 now stands at just over €13.5 million.
• The funding announced today brings to €655,000 Ireland’s contribution to Iraq in 2014. 
• In addition, Ireland is to the fore in the international response to the Syrian refugee crisis, and on a per capita basis is one of the most generous donors of emergency humanitarian aid. At the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria and region, Ireland pledged a further €12 million, and has already exceeded this pledge, bringing our overall funding commitment in the period 2011 to 2014 to €28.011 million.