A financial aid package for Africa worth €26 million has been announced today by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Conor Lenihan.
The package provides support for United Nations programmes, the Red Cross and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) for both humanitarian and recovery purposes.
Mr Lenihan said: "Ireland is committed not only to increasing its overall funding to humanitarian assistance but providing that funding as early as possible and as flexibly as possible. This greatly helps those out in the field actually delivering food, water, shelter and medical assistance to do their job and plan ahead."
Some €19 million is being allocated to the UN Consolidated Appeals (CAPs) - a fund for humanitarian agencies to plan, implement and monitor ongoing relief activities.
"It also draws attention to so-called forgotten or neglected emergencies which have not benefited from high profile, international attention," Mr Lenihan said.
"Ireland is becoming an increasingly important donor to the CAP appeals. I am proud that we are playing a leading role in providing early and generous funding to these vital appeals," he added.
Some €7.5 million is being allocated to NGOs and the Red Cross, primarily for recovery programmes. These schemes aim to progress a situation beyond emergency assistance to consolidation and development.
Despite the sometimes testy relationship between NGOs and governments, Mr Lenihan paid tribute to their work in "often dangerous situations". "I would like to reiterate the Government's support for the crucial role they play in assisting vulnerable populations."
The countries to benefit from the funding include: Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe.