O'Donnell Approves Additional Emergency Funding For Victims Of The Flooding In Mozambique
Liz O'Donnell, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance, today announced additional emergency funding of £240,000 to Mozambique in response to the deteriorating situation resulting from the devastating floods which have hit the southern states of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane. This brings the total emergency funding to £400,000.
Allocations will be made to the World Food Programme who are providing logistical support in addition to emergency food. Also funding will be provided to the South African Air Force to allow them to deliver emergency goods by helicopter to the affected areas.
The allocation announced today is in addition to funding provided under the development aid programme. Mozambique is a priority country for Ireland's Development Aid. Assistance in 1999 amounted to £6.3 million and will be over £7 million in 2000. In response to the recent crisis, some of the programme funding will be redirected towards providing assistance to those in need of emergency relief and for rehabilitation work after the immediate emergency.
" Given the scale of the disaster caused by the effects of the heaviest rains to have hit the region in over fifty years and in light of new appeals, it is important to provide additional emergency funding to assist the ongoing relief effort. We have all seen the harrowing images of the floods which have caused havoc in Mozambique. The allocation announced today will go towards meeting the needs of those most affected." said Minister O Donnell.
