Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, TD, is travelling to Cairo to attend a major international conference on the reconstruction of Gaza tomorrow (Sunday 12th), where he will announce an additional €2.5 million in funding to Gaza.
The conference will focus in particular on current humanitarian needs and the huge amount of reconstruction required in Gaza, but participants will also address the critical need to prevent a repetition of the recent conflict.
Speaking ahead of his departure to Cairo, Minister Flanagan said:
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire and it is clear that significant resources will be required to meet both immediate needs and longer term recovery assistance and reconstruction.
“Ireland will provide an additional €2.5 million towards the humanitarian response that will go towards both urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts.
“I also look forward to discussion at the conference on how the underlying issues which gave rise to the recent conflict can be effectively addressed to ensure we do not have to go through such a harrowing cycle of violence again and to guarantee a better future for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
The conference, which has been organised jointly by the Governments of Egypt and Norway, is part of the international response to the recent conflict in Gaza. The conference will be opened by President Al Sisi of Egypt, and attendance will include UN Secretary General Ban, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, US Secretary of State Kerry and as well as other international and EU Foreign Ministers.
In response to the current crisis in Gaza, Ireland provided €500,000 to UNRWA’s Emergency Appeal in July. This support is helping to provide urgently needed food, shelter and medical aid to thousands of families, many of whom have had to flee their homes.
Notes to the editor:
• Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas development programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• The €2.5 million additional funding is made up of:
o €500,000 in immediate humanitarian support for UNRWA through the UN Gaza Crisis Appeal.
o €2 million for longer term recovery assistance, to be disbursed over a two-year period 2015-2016, to established partners such as the Palestinian Authority and UN agencies.
• Total Irish Aid funding approved to date in 2014 for the Palestinian people amounts to €10 million, and includes support for the work of UNRWA (€5.5m), the Palestinian Authority (€3m), UN OCHA (€300,000) and civil society organisations (over €900,000).
• Ireland’s support to the Palestinian people over more than two decades reflects the Government’s longstanding commitment to justice for the Palestinian people and to the development of a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.
• Since 2005, Ireland has provided €35.65 million to the United Relief and Works Agency’s General Fund which provides the full range of social services including health and education services, to Palestinian refugees across its five areas of operation, including Gaza.
• Ireland has also been a generous supporter of UNRWA’s Gaza Emergency Appeals with over €5.1 million in humanitarian assistance provided since 2006.