President's plea over ongoing Tsunami aid
The international community must continue to support the thousands of people devastated by the Asian tsunami for many years to come, President Mary McAleese urged today.
The President commended the public’s generosity, saying she was “proud” to live in a country which has given unprecedented levels of practical and financial aid.
“It is clear that the international community must assist both now and in the difficult months, even years ahead,” Ms McAleese said, as she addressed the Diplomatic Corps, at her residence, Aras an Uachtarain.
She said the end of 2004 was blackened by the “appalling loss of life and terrible destruction.”
Ms McAleese said Ireland was playing its part in the disaster relief efforts with Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern and the heads of the leading Irish NGOs travelling to hard hit Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Irish Ambassador to Malaysia and Thailand, Dan Mulhall and his embassy staff were singled out for praise.
“No ambassador is trained to trek from mortuary to mortuary in search of missing countrymen and women, or to cope with the aftermath of something so unique in human history,” she said.
Ms McAleese said diplomatic workers were among the first to begin the urgent task of helping and comforting the bereft and bereaved.
“Many of you represent countries which have been directly affected by the catastrophe and I hope that amidst the trauma and the sea of sorrow there is some comfort and reassurance in the kindness of strangers of all nationalities, all creeds, all united in their goodness and their grief,” she said.
The President went on to mention the difficulties that people continue to suffer in South Africa.
“Long term development assistance programmes never gain the headlines that emergency relief programmes do,” she said, stressing the importance of development through long-term infrastructure and health care.
Ireland celebrates the 50th anniversary of its membership of the United Nations this year. The President said the country’s commitment to the UN was as “unshakeable as ever”.
Ms McAleese said the State had developed healthy relationships with many countries over that time and highlighted the peacekeeping role the defence forces has played.
