Ireland pledges €15 million in aid for Sudan
Today the Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Mr. Conor Lenihan T.D., speaking at an international donor conference in Oslo announced that Ireland will provide €15 million for the recovery and reconstruction of Sudan for the period 2005-2007.
This assistance will be focused on rebuilding livelihoods, quick impact programmes which directly affect the poorest sections of the Sudanese population and institutional capacity building.
In announcing the funding the Minister said:
“A real opportunity now exists to put a generation of war and conflict in Sudan behind us and to move towards a new era of peace and development. An enormous amount of time and energy has been invested in reaching this point. The challenges of maintaining the peace, enabling recovery and reconstruction and bringing positive change to the lives of the Sudanese people are equally enormous. The opportunities now presenting themselves must be grasped and utilised.”
“Darfur remains a grave cause of concern. It is essential that the international community remain supportive and engaged with Sudan over the long term, to ensure the peace and development that its people desire and deserve. Ireland commits itself to this long term engagement.”
The Minister is attending the conference following a visit to Sudan last week where he had meetings with key representatives from the Sudanese Government, the African Union, the United Nations and Irish and International NGOs.
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11th April 2005
Note to Editors:
The Norwegian Government is hosting an international “Oslo Donors' Conference on Sudan” on the 11 and 12 April. This conference will be the primary forum for the international community to pledge support for the people of Sudan in the reconstruction phase that started with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Nairobi on the 9 January this year. As an integral part of the Donor Conference, the UN will present its up-dated work plan for 2005 and provide a status report on immediate humanitarian needs and the response of the international community.
