Government pledges up to €3 million for humanitarian and recovery assistance in Iraq
The Government today announced that it will pledge up to €3 million in further humanitarian and recovery assistance to Iraq, with a focus on meeting the basic needs of the most vulnerable Iraqis, especially women and children.
The pledge is being made at the Donors' Conference on Iraq which will be held in Madrid on 23/24 October. This pledge is in addition to the €5 million made available to NGOs, International Humanitarian Organisations and UN agencies to meet the most pressing needs of Iraq's poor. The additional pledge will be disbursed as needs arise over the next 18 months. The funds will be disbursed through UN Trust Fund mechanisms and valued partners such as UN agencies, Red Cross and NGOs.
Announcing the pledge Minister of State Tom Kitt TD stated:
“While my principal concern remains assisting the poorest of the poor, especially in Africa, I believe it is incumbent on us to continue to respond to the most pressing needs of the most vulnerable in Iraq.
Our focus in Iraq will continue to be those sections of society, especially women and children, who have suffered most over the last two decades and during the recent conflict.
It is important that the UN should play a central role in the recovery of Iraq. I believe it must be at the heart of the reconstruction process. It has the experience, capacity and perceived impartiality to carry development forward.”
Note for Editors:
To date in 2003 €5 million has been disbursed to the Red Cross, Unicef, World Food Programme (WFP), Concern, Trocaire and Goal. This funding was primarily targeted at responding to the humanitarian crisis (see separate note).
For more information on Development Cooperation Ireland please go to: www.dci.gov.ie
