Irish Aid fulfils pledge to UN Emergency Response fund as Minister Conor Lenihan announces funding of €20 million

“Time is of the essence in disaster situations” – Lenihan

Today, Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister of State responsible for Irish Aid announced the transfer of €20 million to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

In making the announcement Minister Lenihan said:

Today’s fulfilment of our pledge is a clear recognition that Ireland is willing to play its part, not just in responding to emergencies as they occur but in strengthening the international community's capacity to respond. When I met with the outgoing UN Under Secretary, Jan Egeland, in December 2006 to review the working of the CERF, I pledged to double Irish Aid’s funding to this very important initiative.  I am delighted today to be able to carry this to effect.

Today’s donation underlines Irish Aid’s commitment to respond rapidly to disasters as they occur.  Time is of the essence in emergency situations – this fund allows the international community to respond with the requisite speed when crises strike.

The CERF also provides grants to strengthen core elements of humanitarian response to under-funded crises. I am very pleased that we in Ireland are playing our part to ease the plight of those suffering in slow-burn crises, away from the glare of media attention.

I know that the CERF was on hand in Lebanon in July 2006 and on an on-going basis in Darfur. It has also supported the urgent but often ignored needs, such as malaria control, cholera response and protection of the internally displaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Finally, our donation will ensure that funds can be quickly disbursed in time of immediate need. ”

Note to editors

Established in 1991, the CERF is the UN’s central donation facility to help ensure that funds are on hand in time to allow immediate action to be taken on humanitarian emergencies. The fund is financed by voluntary contributions from both public and private donors.

CERF was part of the ongoing reform of the international humanitarian system, when it was proposed in late 2004 that a new humanitarian fund be created to both provide funds for sudden onset situations (where delays were often perceived to occur in accessing initial funding from donors) and forgotten or neglected emergencies which did not benefit sufficiently from donor financial support.

The CERF has so far managed to raise some $270 million 2006.  This has been utilised for a range of humanitarian crises, both sudden onset and forgotten emergencies.  The Horn of Africa drought, for example, earlier this year received funding of $30 million from the CERF.

ENDS++

24^th January 2007