Ministers announce assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic
22/5/17
Ministers Flanagan and McHugh announce €6 million in humanitarian assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D. and Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Joe McHugh T.D. today announced €6 million in humanitarian assistance to severely underfunded humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Ireland will provide €3 million each to DRC and CAR through UN pooled funding. Providing funding through Pooled Funds means that the most urgent needs can be met quickly, be they for food, shelter, health or protection for the most vulnerable.
Announcing the funding, Minister Flanagan said:
“Ireland is deeply concerned about the prolonged humanitarian crises in DRC and CAR, where ongoing insecurity, high displacement and chronic vulnerability continue to cause great human suffering.
“Decades of armed conflict and insecurity in the DRC have created one of the world’s most complex and long-standing humanitarian crises. Over seven million people need humanitarian assistance and millions have been forced to flee their homes due to armed attacks and violence. More than a million have been displaced by the violence that began in August 2016 in the Kasai region and which has now spread into neighboring provinces.
"The conflict that broke out in CAR in 2013 has had a devastating impact on an already impoverished country. Violent clashes continue to cause displacement and 2.3 million people, almost half the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance.”
The DRC and CAR are among the poorest countries in the world. Conflict has destroyed vital infrastructure and devastated livelihoods, increasing the vulnerability of people already facing chronic poverty. Food insecurity and chronic malnutrition is widespread in both contexts, affecting 4.4 million people in DRC and 2 million people in CAR, many of whom are children.
Minister of State McHugh added:
“Violent conflict coupled with longstanding underdevelopment and poverty has had a devastating impact on these two countries. Despite ongoing human suffering and huge humanitarian needs, the crises in DRC and CAR are slipping from the international agenda and are severely underfunded as a result.
“Ireland has consistently provided humanitarian support to the people of DRC and CAR. We remain committed to responding where needs are greatest, particularly in forgotten and underfunded crises.”
ENDS
Press Office
22 May 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 http://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. See more: http://www.irishaid.ie/media/irishaid/allwebsitemedia/20newsandpublications/publicationpdfsenglish/Humanitarian-Assistance-Policy-2015.pdf
• Ireland has consistently contributed to the humanitarian response in DRC through the UN since 2007. Since 2013, Ireland has provided over €20 million in response to the crisis in the DRC. In 2016, Ireland provided €4.8 million in humanitarian funding to the crisis in DRC, including €3 million to the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund.
• Ireland has consistently contributed to the humanitarian response in CAR since 2008. Since 2014, over €17 million in humanitarian assistance has been provided to those in need in CAR. In 2016, Ireland provided €6.2 million in humanitarian funding to the crisis in CAR, including €3 million to the CAR Humanitarian Pooled Fund.
• 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.