Emergency Aid approved for victims of ‘El Nino'

Minister Liz O'Donnell, who is responsible for the Irish Aid programme (which has a budget of £137 million for 1998), has approved an emergency grant for the victims of drought and frost in Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea caused by the ‘El Nino' phenomenon.

Minister O'Donnell said that "This grant of £50,000 grant would be used to help alleviate the plight of the population of Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea resulting from the impact of ‘El Nino'. It will help to meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable, as well as providing them with emergency medical assistance. The funds allocated will be equally divided between the affected populations in Irian Jaya and in Papua New Guinea'. The assistance is to be channelled through the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs.

‘El Nino' results from a periodic rise of temperature in the Eastern Pacific which, on this occasion, is producing floods and drought in various parts of the world. The effects of ‘El Nino' are being discussed at the current Kyoto Environment Summit in Japan.

Minister O'Donnell said that ‘The island of New Guinea has been badly affected by the severe floods and high winds associated with the El Nino phenomenon. It is estimated that 500,000 people in New Guinea are currently suffering from malnutrition there".

Note for editors: Emergency assistance grants allocated under the Irish Aid budget are used to fund urgent humanitarian relief and rehabilitation projects. Grants announced this week bring Irish Aid's total expenditure on emergency humanitarian relief projects to £10m for 1997. Top