From Department of Foreign Affairs
The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, has announced additional humanitarian funding for people in Sudan and Lebanon. Speaking at UN General Assembly High Level Week, the Tánaiste confirmed an additional package of €2 million in humanitarian assistance split evenly between both countries.
The additional funding will bring Ireland’s humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan to €14 million this year and will bring Ireland’s humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in 2024 to over €5 million.
The Tánaiste will today address a meeting at UN General Assembly High Level Week to highlight the crisis in Sudan. He will call for an immediate ceasefire, warning of further dire consequences, including famine and widespread human rights abuses, if the conflict continues.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD said:
“This additional humanitarian funding will support people in desperate need in both Sudan and Lebanon. There are an estimated 3.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, while situation in Sudan remains dire with half the population – over 25 million people – facing acute hunger.
“The crises in Middle East and Sudan are central to Ireland’s engagements at High Level Week. I look forward today to engaging with my counterparts on how to respond to and ultimately halt the atrocities in Sudan. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that Sudan returns to a path of peaceful democratic transition.
“Since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, Ireland has consistently emphasised the need to protect civilians, maintain humanitarian access, stop the fighting and demand accountability.
“I am deeply concerned by the recent declaration of famine in Darfur. There is no doubt that this famine is driven by the ongoing conflict. Women and girls are enduring widespread sexual and gender based violence. This cannot continue.
“If we are going to see any improvement to the dire situation for millions of Sudanese the parties must come back to the negotiating table, permit humanitarian access and end attacks on civilians. The implications of continuing on the current path of war—for both the people of Sudan, and for the region—are extremely grave.”
Ireland’s humanitarian support for people around the world is at record levels. Ireland invested a record €312m in humanitarian relief globally in 2023 and will at least match this figure in 2024.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD said:
“The number of people in humanitarian need around the world has never been greater. Ireland has responded by spending record amounts on humanitarian assistance for people whose lives have been upended by war or disaster. Today’s announcement o further humanitarian support for people in Sudan and Lebanon is a reflection of Ireland’s deep commitment to assisting people around the world in their moment of need.”
ENDS
Press Office
25 September 2024
Notes for editors:
- The additional humanitarian package of €2 million will be allocated to UNHCR to support their work in Sudan and Lebanon. The package will be split evenly, €1 million for Sudan and €1 million for Lebanon.
- To date in 2024, Ireland has provided over €10.5m in humanitarian aid to Sudan and a further €2.5m in support of Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries. The additional €1m announced today for Sudan will bring total support in 2024 to €14 million. The additional €1 million will be allocated to UNHCR for their Sudan crisis response.
- After more than a year of the war, an estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan. According to UNHCR, more than 2 million people have fled across the border.
- About 25.6 million people – over half of the population of Sudan – face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine. Famine has been confirmed in Zamzam camp sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Sudan’s North Darfur Region.
- Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre in the world, including the Lebanese Government’s estimation of 1.5 million refugees from Syria.
- Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, ongoing clashes along Lebanon’s southern border have displaced over 110,000 people. UNHCR works closely with the Government of Lebanon and numerous other national and international partners in providing protection and assistance to refugees and host communities, as well as stateless persons.
- This additional funding will bring to over €5 million the amount of humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in 2024. The other funds were provided to the UN’s Lebanon Humanitarian Fund and to the Irish NGOs Trócaire and Concern.