Govt unveil aid package
Niger, Zimbabwe and North Korea are all set to benefit from a €2m aid package announced by the Government today.
Overseas Development Aid Minister Conor Lenihan said the humanitarian aid package was designed to respond to those countries with the greatest needs.
“This package of two million euro is spread over a range of different emergencies in three different continents in response to specific appeals.
“As a donor we have to look at where the needs are greatest and respond.
“This is what we are doing through this package,” he said.
As part of the funding, €352,000 has been allocated to the Irish Red Cross for relief work in Niger and Burkina Faso.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) will also receive €100,000 for its work in Niger.
“With these contributions, Ireland’s pledge of €3m to assist in the emergency response to the current food crises in Niger and the Sahel Region has now been met,” Mr Lenihan said.
In Zimbabwe, which is facing chronic food shortages, Irish NGO Goal will receive €400,000 for its school feeding programme, bringing to €2m the aid provided by the Government for Southern Africa in 2005.
Aid for food is also being provided in North Korea, where the Government has allocated €250,000 to the Emergency Food Appeal launched by the World Food Programme.
Funding is also being provided for Trocaire’s ongoing work in Darfur and South Sudan, for the international Red Cross for victims of recent flooding in China, Romania and Bulgaria and to UNOCHA’s Trust Fund for disaster relief.
