Ireland provides additional funding to forgotten humanitarian crises

Tánaiste Coveney and Minister of State Cannon announce €500,000 in additional funding to forgotten humanitarian crises

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D, and Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Mr. Ciarán Cannon, T.D., today announced additional Irish funding of €500,000 in humanitarian assistance to two severely underfunded and forgotten crises, the Central African Republic and Sudan. 

The Central African Republic and Sudan are the world’s third and fifth most fragile states respectively according to the 2017 Fragile States Index, with very significant humanitarian needs. TheUNHumanitarian Response Plans for both countries remain hugely underfunded. These crises receive little attention from the media and the international community and support to them is in line with Ireland’s long standing support to neglected and forgotten crises.

Ireland will provide €250,000 in response to the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR). CAR is experiencing one of its worst humanitarian crises since independence in 1960, and 2.5 million people, almost half the population, require humanitarian assistance. The additional funding brings Ireland’s total direct humanitarian support to CAR to nearly €5.5m this year.

A further €250,000 will be provided in response to the crisis in Sudan where 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 3 million in Darfur. This allocation brings Ireland’s total direct humanitarian support to Sudan in 2017 to nearly €4m.  Ireland will provide the support through the UN-managed Humanitarian Pooled Funds, through which the most urgent human needs can be met quickly, be they for food, shelter, health, or protection for the most vulnerable.

Ireland also provides support to underfunded and forgotten crises through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a large UN fund that is used for immediate humanitarian response at the onset of emergencies, in rapidly deteriorating situations, and in protracted crises that fail to attract sufficient resources. Ireland is the eighth largest donor to the CERF, which has allocated over $418million to 36 crises around the world this year.

Announcing the funding, the Tánaiste said:

“Ireland remains committed in its humanitarian response to forgotten and underfunded crises.  We have consistently ensured that we prioritise funding for crises where the humanitarian need is significant but that do not receive international attention, fading from the headlines or never even making the headlines.

The current scale and severity of humanitarian crises around the world is unprecedented.  Ireland has a proud history of supporting those in need, and our commitment to saving lives through humanitarian assistance is recognised globally.

In this context I have decided to allocate an additional €500,000 in humanitarian assistance to two severely underfunded and forgotten crises, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan.

I continue to be concerned by the upsurge in violence in CAR which has brought the country towards a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Almost half the population, 2.5 million people, require humanitarian assistance and more than 2 million people are food insecure. Violence continues to drive displacement, and nearly one family out of four has been forced to flee their homes.

I also remain deeply concerned by the protracted humanitarian crisis in Sudan where years of conflict is continuing to impact on access to food and basic services for vulnerable households, and to drive people from their homes.  Some 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance,including 3 million in Darfur, and approximately 3.2 million people in the country are internally displaced.

We will continue to monitor these situations closely.”

Minister of State Cannon said:

“Our compassion for those who are suffering will not allow us to stand by while millions of people, largely forgotten, are in acute need of basic requirements like food, shelter and clean water. Ireland’s commitment to saving lives through humanitarian assistance is recognised globally and we will continue to provide support to underfunded crises. 

I am also proud of Ireland’s strong and consistent support to the pooled UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The CERF is a valuable mechanism in that it is able to release money at the onset of emergencies, in rapidly deteriorating situations, and in protracted crises such as those in the Central African Republic and Sudan that fail to attract sufficient resources.”

ENDS

Press Office

29 December 2017

Notes to the Editor:

• Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas assistance programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For further information visit www.irishaid.ie
  
   
• Ireland’s Humanitarian Assistance Policy outlines how Irish Aid saves and protects lives, alleviates suffering and maintains human dignity before, during and in the aftermath of humanitarian crises.

• Ireland has consistently contributed to the humanitarian response in CAR, and has provided over €25 million in humanitarian assistance since 2012. The additional funding brings Ireland’s total humanitarian support to CAR to nearly €5.5m this year. The UN Humanitarian Response Plan for CAR in 2017 is only 37% funded. 
  
   
• Ireland has provided continued support for humanitarian assistance programmes in Sudan, with over €21 million in humanitarian funding allocated since 2012. This allocation brings Ireland’s total direct humanitarian support to Sudan in 2017 to nearly €4m.  The UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan in 2017 is only 45% funded. 

• The UN OCHA Humanitarian Pooled Funds allocate funding in-country to a broad range of partners, including UN organisations, and national and international NGOs. The Pooled Funds form part of the Humanitarian Response Plan for each country and the funding is allocated to meet critical humanitarian needs ranging from food assistance to protection to livelihoods support.