Kampala, Uganda, 17 June 2017 - The Government of Ireland completed yesterday the airlifting of essential relief items worth €500,000 (more than 2 billion UGX) to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. This critically needed assistance includes blankets, shelter construction materials, cooking sets and mosquito nets.

Irish Aid, the Irish Government’s programme for overseas development, covered the costs of two separate airlifts to Uganda – one from Dubai on the 11th of June and another one from Accra on 16th of June. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, received the supplies at Entebbe International Airport and will distribute them to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda’s districts of Arua and Lamwo.

This support comes at a critical time, with around 2,000 South Sudanese refugees arriving in Uganda daily since July 2016, when a new conflict erupted in Juba and quickly spread to other parts of the country. The fighting has continued to drive people from their homes across the border into Uganda, which now hosts more than 1.2 million refugees – 960,000 from South Sudan alone. Despite the pressure of this unprecedented influx, Uganda has maintained its refugee welcoming policy, keeping its borders open and continuing to provide refugees with land, shelter, freedom of movement and access to services.

The people of Ireland have continued to offer support to the South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, and have provided €3 million in lifesaving assistance in 2016, including €1,114,000 to UNHCR.

“We are so grateful to the Irish people for showing solidarity with refugees,” says Bornwell Kantande, UNHCR Representative in Uganda. “Such display of generosity clearly signals that Ireland stands with Uganda and the communities who have opened their doors and hearts to men, women and children fleeing conflict and violence in their home countries.”

In September 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration, whereby 193 states pledged robust support to countries affected by large movements of refugees and migrants. “We hope more countries will follow the example of Ireland and will join forces to support Uganda’s progressive refugee model,” says Kantande.

END

About UNHCR UNHCR leads and co-ordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Today, a staff of more than 9,300 people in 123 countries continues to help and protect millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless people. In Uganda, UNHCR provides protection and humanitarian assistance to more than 1.25 million refugees in coordination with the Government of Uganda and partners.
Follow UNHCR on Twitter @refugees and Facebook www.facebook.com/UNHCR and www.facebook.com/UNHCRUganda

About Irish Aid
Irish Aid is the Irish Government’s programme for overseas development. The programme is managed by the Development Co-operation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The work we do in fighting global poverty and hunger is integral to Ireland’s foreign policy. Irish Aid has been working in Uganda for 23 years. Its current Country Strategy Paper (CSP) runs from 2016-2020 and has a strong focus on Karamoja and support to the Humanitarian Response in Uganda. Follow Irish Aid on Twitter @Irish_Aid / @IrlEmbUganda and Facebook www.facebook.com/IrishAidCentre

**For more information, please contact:*

UNHCR
In Kampala, Stephanie Perham, Donor Relations Officer, perham@unhcr.org, +256 775 822 957
In Kampala, Rocco Nuri, Reporting Officer, nuri@unhcr.org, +256 779 663 793
In Kampala, Katherine Wainwright, Associate External Relations Officer, wainwrig@unhcr.org, +256 775 825 592

Irish Aid
H.E. Dónal Cronin, Ambassador, donal.cronin@dfa.ie, +256 772 744 402

Key Concerns
- The EU-Turkey plan is not designed in the best interests of refugees and asylum seekers, including Syrian civilians, but is instead focuses on containing the flow of displaced people trying to reach European countries.
- The plan has the potential to seriously erode the crucial protection for refugees afforded them under international law by designating Turkey a safe third country– leading to potential violation of the principle of non-refoulement.
- With its focus on Syria, the deal risks creating a hierarchy of refugees which violates the fundamental principle that all asylum applications should be considered on their own merit, regardless of where the applicant is from.
- The EU and Turkey’s assurance that asylum seekers will not have their rights violated, that they will have their asylum claims reviewed on an individual basis and that no one will be victims of collective expulsions, is not convincing given the scale of the numbers involved and the time line proposed – both of which raises serious concerns about the ability of the EU and Turkey to deliver on these commitments.
- The EU-Turkey plan damages the credibility of the EU, undermines the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid and sets a dangerous precedent of principled humanitarian donors motivated by political agendas.

900 vulnerable women assisted by FAO to improve nutrition and rebuild economic self-reliance

12 July 2017, Maiduguri – To strengthen resilience of communities from the loss of livestock assets, FAO distributed 3600 goats to improve household nutrition and rebuild livelihood of vulnerable communities. Around 900 vulnerable women including some from women headed households are being assisted.

This is part of efforts led by the government to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in areas inflicted by Boko Haram violence. The conflict has provoked the displacement of up to 2.4 million people. Many of them got their livestock confiscated or left these assets behind to flee for their life, thus impairing their livelihood. Hosting communities also suffered severe livestock losses due to poor access to animal health services as a result of damage to veterinary infrastructure.

This emergency distribution has come as the Government of the Republic of Ireland contributed USD 325,326 to rebuild livelihood and address food insecurity to combat hunger in North East Nigeria. The goat distributions have targeted, internally displaced population, returnees and host communities in Borno. The local government area of Borno – Jerre, Maiduguri Metropolitan and Kondua is where the goats were distributed. Four goats, three breeding females and one male distributed per household.

“Animal restocking is crucial for the benefit of women for whom goats play a major role for the household nutrition security through the provision of milk and a source of revenue to address other household challenges”, says Patrick David, interim Country Representative, FAO, Nigeria.

After receiving four goats, 35-year-old Bintu Usman, a host community member said, “We don’t have food sometimes, my husband is paralyzed for last 5 years due to injuries sustained during the conflict. As an only earning member, I will keep these goats to reproduce so we can sell some of them and buy grains”.

This handover of goats is complimented by World Food Program (WFP)’s provision of cash based assistance to the women beneficiaries.

The two track approach of “cash + livestock” named “cash + approach” will ensure that communities can sustain their livelihoods while they re - launch themselves into this short cycle livestock activities.

To make this livelihood sustainable, FAO further ensured that goats that meet specifications of good health and breeding performance are distributed to the communities.

“ We tag these goats, weigh them, collect temperature and blood samples to ensure these are healthy goats and they can reproduce. This will provide long term livelihood support to communities”, said 46-year-old Dr. Mohammad Modu Bukar, University of Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the facility in charge of goat quarantine and certification.

The Director of Agriculture at Jerre stated that efforts to distribute goats to vulnerable women would have a positive impact on farmers.

All partners involved urged the communities to not sell the goats until they have reproduced to sustain this livelihood support.

Highlights

According to available data, in the first half of 2017, there were more than 100,000 arrivals to Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Spain (101,559). This represents a 58% decrease when compared to the same period in 2016 when 239,925 arrivals were registered. This is mainly due to the sharpe decrease in arrivals to Greece.

Greece has seen a 93% lower number of arrivals by the end of June 2017 when compared to the same period 2016 (10,679 and 160,115 respectively). Contrary to that, there were estimated 83,639 cumulative arrivals to Italy by the end of June, a 18% increase compared to 70,222 arrivals recorded at the end of the same month in 2016.

At the end of June, total number of migrants and refugees present in Greece, Cyprus and in the Western Balkans reached 72,179. Since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement on 18 March 2016, the number of migrants stranded in Greece increased by 54%. More information could be found on page 5.

Between October 2015 and 30 June 2017, 23,228 individuals have been relocated to 24 European countries. Please see page on relocations for more information.

In the six four months of 2017, total of 1,228 migrants and refugees were readmitted from Greece to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey Statement.
The majority of migrants and refugees were Pakistani, Syrian, Algerian,
Afghan, and Bangladeshi nationals (more info in Turkey section).
More information about Central Mediterranean and the contingency

Developments

By the end of June 2017, more than 100,000 migrants from Middle East, Asia and Africa reached Europe. The total number of registered sea and land arrivals to Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria as of 30 June stands at 101,559 representing a 58% decrease when compared to the figure reported at the end of June 2016 (239,925). The decrease is mainly caused by a stark decline in the overall arrivals through the two main entry points in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Bulgaria. Greece received 93% less migrants in 2017 when compared to the end of June 2016, 160,115 vs. 10,679 respectively, with the reverse dynamic in arrivals between first and second quarter in 2017 and 2016. Namely, while significant decrease has been observed after March 2016 (mainly due to the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement), from the total of 152,617 in Q1 to 7,498 by the end of Q2 2016, a 42% increase is noticed in arrivals between the first and second quarter of 2017 , from 4,407 to 6,272 respectively. In addition, land arrivals to Bulgaria also dropped from 4,954 reported by the end of the second quarter of 2016, to 391 recorded during the same period in 2017.

In contrast to that, the available data for other countries of first arrival - Italy, Spain and Cyprus- shows an increase. As of 30 June 2017 Italian Ministry of Interior registered 83,752 new arrivals which is the highest number recorded for this period since 2014. It represents a 19% increase compared to June 2016 and 31% increase compared to June 2014. Spain has seen a 40% increase, from 4,606 in 2016 to 6,464 in 2017, while authorities in Cyprus reported 28 arrivals in the second quarter of 2016 and total of 273 by the end of June 2017.

Similarly, the number of dead and missing migrants is still high. As of 30 June 2017, a total of 2,256 migrants have been reported dead or missing (23% decrease compared to 2016). The Central Mediterranean route is still the most perilous one with 2,158 deaths recorded since January 2017.
Demographic profile of registered nationalities in Greece and Italy is notably different following already geographically established transit routes. Hence, migrants from Middle East and Central Asia comprise the majority of registered arrivals to Greece (62%), whereas African nationals represent the highest share of arrivals to Italy (min. 67%).

Migrants from Nigeria represent 17% of all migrants who arrived to Italy as of 30 June 2017. Comprising a 10% of all arrivals, Bangladeshi nationals represent* the second largest group, exceeding the share of Guinean migrants whose share decreased to 9% (from 13% reported in Q1). Migrants from Cote d´Ivoire comprise another 9% followed by migrants from the Gambia (6%), Senegal (6%) and Mali (6%). Arrivals to Italy are marked with a high percentage of children (15%), especially those travelling as unacompanied and separated. Since the beginning of this year,a total of 12, 239 children arrived to Italy. The vast majority (11,406) were unaccompanied and separated children mostly from Western Africa (Guinea, Cote d´Ivoire, the Gambia) and Bangladesh. Another 11% of migrants are adult females while adult males comprise 74% of the overall arrivals.

In Greece, increasing share of arrivals is consisted of Syrians (36%), Iraqi (13%) and Pakistani (7%) nationals. An interesting increase is observed in arrivals from Congo which represent 7% (697) of all arrivals at the end of June - a 102% increase compared to the same period in 2016. For the remaining 37% the shares seems to be rather equally distributed (>2%) among more than 55 different nationalities.

Severe humanitarian crises are affecting a number of countries across East Africa – in large parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Kenya millions of people are living in dire circumstances. These crises are driven by drought and conflict, often resulting in large-scale displacement of people from their homes. Ireland is responding to the crises through our humanitarian assistance programme, managed by Irish Aid.

The situation is grim, and the suffering immense. Some of the worst affected areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are yet to recover from the 2015-16 El Niño drought. Violent conflict continues in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, causing massive suffering in a region already weakened by the effects of severe and recurring drought. Record numbers are facing extreme hunger, many of whom are children. The UN estimates that almost 30 million people are in need across the region.

What is being done?

Emergency financing and early action are key to preventing further catastrophe and avoiding famine in the region. The international community is responding to the crises, yet the needs continue to rise. East Africa has long been a priority region for Ireland’s overseas development assistance and humanitarian response. Since 2012, Ireland has given a total of €125 million in humanitarian assistance to the region. This assistance has been steadily increasing over the last five years in response to increasing need - from €13.5 million in 2012 to €29 million in 2016. In 2017, Ireland has to date provided almost €22 million in humanitarian assistance to the region and we are committed to continuing to alleviate the ongoing significant levels of humanitarian need.

Ireland channels its funding through our UN and NGO partners on the ground. We contribute to UN Humanitarian Pooled Funds for Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, which allocate funding in-country to a broad range of partners, including UN organisations, and national and international NGOs. The Pooled Funds form part of the Humanitarian Response Plan for each country, and the funding is allocated to meet critical humanitarian needs ranging from food assistance, to protection, to livelihoods support. Other key UN partners for Ireland in the region are UNICEF and UNHCR. In 2017 for example, Ireland contributed €1 million to UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children Appeal for South Sudan, which has a particular focus on treating acute malnutrition.

A central feature of Ireland’s overseas humanitarian assistance programme is our Rapid Response Initiative, which includes the Rapid Response Corps. In 2016, Irish Aid deployed 6 Rapid Responders to the East Africa Region. So far this year, Ireland has airlifted emergency humanitarian stocks to Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda (for South Sudanese refugees). These emergency supplies are directed to meeting urgent needs of those caught in the crisis, for example, the airlift to Somalia contained over 100 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies to support Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and drought-affected households. This airlift, worth over €600,000, included blankets, jerry cans, cooking sets, family hygiene kits, tarpaulins and solar lamps for distribution to 4,000 vulnerable families, recently displaced by drought and acute hunger, and now living in informal settlements.

Through our embassy network in East Africa, and engagement with our international humanitarian partners, we continue to monitor the situation, and endeavour to target Irish humanitarian assistance to where the need is greatest.

East Africa’s Humanitarian Crises

Gripped by drought and wracked by conflict for over twenty years, Somalia is one of the most challenging environments for humanitarian aid operations. It is also the most fragile state in the world. The situation continues to deteriorate with 6.7 million people now in need of humanitarian assistance, representing more than half of the population. So far in 2017, Ireland has provided almost €6 million in humanitarian assistance to our United Nations (UN) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) partners on the ground. This support is focused on saving lives, alleviating suffering, building resilience for women and children and increasing timely access to life saving health, nutrition and livelihood intervention for the Somali people.

South Sudan is also facing a severe, large-scale conflict-driven humanitarian crisis resulting in massive displacement. Over 6 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance. With some 3.9 million people displaced, including 1.9 million people who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, it is the largest refugee crisis in Africa. The levels of hunger and malnutrition are unprecedented. International humanitarian actors moved quickly in response to the famine, declared there in February this year, however a serious threat of new famine remains. In 2017, Ireland has contributed over €10 million in humanitarian assistance to our UN and NGO partners on the ground. Our funding has supported emergency responses for South Sudanese people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene and nutrition/food security projects for displaced people within South Sudan.

The longstanding humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to drive displacement and food insecurity. Although the crisis is linked to years of conflict, El Niño-related drought and low rainfalls have contributed to a worsening of the situation. Some 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with many facing severe hunger. Sudan hosts over half a million refugees, mostly from South Sudan, placing pressure on local populations especially in the Darfur regions. Some 600,000 Sudanese have also fled to neighbouring countries due to armed conflict and violence. To date in 2017, Ireland has provided over €3.6 million in humanitarian funding to the crisis in Sudan. Assistance has been provided through our UN partners and two NGO partners, Trócaire and World Vision. Our funding to Trócaire is intended to help strengthen a network of outreach clinics for the treatment of malnutrition among women and children. Our partner World Vision is focused on building the resilience of women and children through education and protection programmes.

Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years. The northern, eastern and central parts of the country bore the brunt of negative El Nino weather conditions over the 2015-2016 period, with back-to-back seasons of poor rainfall. A new drought has now emerged in southern Ethiopia, as the country continues to struggle with the effects of previous drought. The number of people requiring humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia has increased dramatically between January and March this year, from 5.6 million to 7.8 million. So far in 2017, Ireland has contributed over €2.6 million to the Ethiopia crisis. Our support is helping Trócaire provide emergency nutrition and livelihood support to affected communities in one of the worst-affected regions of Ethiopia. Funding has also been provided to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support programmes on Gender Based Violence in emergencies for refugees and to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for its response to the needs of displaced persons and refugees.

Kenya also faces recurrent drought, flooding, malnutrition and food insecurity, compounded by disease outbreaks, Al Shabaab related violence and inter-communal conflict over water and land. Drought conditions have worsened in eastern, coastal and north-eastern regions of the country. Food security is deteriorating due to widespread crop failures and loss of livestock. Over 3 million people are facing acute hunger, and this figure is expected to rise over the coming months due to the recent late and insufficient rains. So far in 2017, Ireland has contributed over €430,000 to the Kenya crisis. This includes funding to Christian Aid’s emergency drought response in North Horr, northern Kenya, and Trócaire’s emergency cash transfer intervention to the drought-related nutrition crisis in Turkana, also in northern Kenya. Our assistance is also supporting the International Rescue Committee’s work on the prevention of gender-based violence.

Ireland will continue to support efforts to respond to the humanitarian crises that are affecting large areas of East Africa. As the region continues to suffer the combined impacts of drought, hunger and conflict, Ireland will continue to work with other donor countries, and our UN, Red Cross, and NGO partners to assist the most vulnerable populations affected and alleviate suffering.

25,392 Total persons relocated
17,457 Relocated from Greece (26% of 66,400)
7,935 Relocated from Italy (20% of 39,600)

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D., and Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciarán Cannon T.D., today expressed solidarity with those affected by floods and mudslides in Sierra Leone.

Hundreds are believed to have died as a result of severe mudslides, triggered by heavy rains, which have hit communities on the outskirts of the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown. While numbers of casualties have not been verified yet, at least 3,000 people are believed to have lost their homes and are in immediate need of emergency assistance and shelter.

Minister Coveney said:

“I am deeply saddened by the deaths and destruction caused by the flooding and mudslides in Sierra Leone and extend my condolences to the people and Government of Sierra Leone. Through our Embassy in Freetown, we are liaising closely with our partners on the ground, including the Sierra Leonean Government, to ensure an effective and urgent response to this disaster. Ireland's pre-positioned funds with NGO and UN partners are available for use to meet the needs of those affected.

I am pleased that a crisis alert of over €400,000 has already issued from the Start Fund to provide funding to NGOs to react on the ground. We are working with the Government of Sierra Leone through our Embassy in Freetown, as well as with our other partners on the ground, to assess how best to provide further support to those affected by the tragedy. I expect to announce additional funding from our bilateral programme in Sierra Leone in the coming days.”

The Start Fund is a humanitarian pooled fund which enables NGOs to access emergency funding in order to quickly respond to emergencies such as landslides or localised flooding. Ireland allocated €1.3 million to the Start Fund earlier this week.

Last year, through its Embassy in Freetown, Ireland provided €6.64 million in bilateral development assistance through the UN and NGO partners in Sierra Leone.

Minister of State Cannon added:

“My thoughts are with the families and communities affected by the mudslides. Ireland has actively engaged with Sierra Leone since the end of the conflict there in 2002. We have a strong history of support to the country, including during the Ebola crisis, and our UN, Red Cross and NGO partners on the ground are again working to assist those affected by this week’s events.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Irish Aid is the Government’s overseas assistance programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. For further information see www.irishaid.ie
  

*Severe mudslides – triggered by three days of heavy rains – occurred on 14 August on the outskirts of Freetown. Response teams have been recovering people from the mud and debris, helping evacuate residents, transferring bodies to morgues and providing medical care to the injured.

• The number of fatalities is still unknown, but current estimates- still unverified- are of 312 dead, 3,000 displaced and 15,000 affected. A number of NGOs funded by Ireland work in Sierra Leone and are assessing how best to respond. Rain is expected to continue over the next few weeks, leaving affected populations vulnerable to further hazards. A key concern currently is to prevent a cholera outbreak.

• The Start Fund - a humanitarian pooled fund that allows NGOs to access emergency funding in order to quickly respond to emergencies – has issued a Crisis Alert for Sierra Leone for £400,000 to target 5,000 people. The Start Fund is a humanitarian pooled fund established to enable NGOs to access emergency funding in order to quickly respond to emergencies such as landslides or localised flooding, and to facilitate much earlier and faster decision-making. It is supported by the UK, Netherlands, EU and Ireland. Start funding is available to all of the Start Network’s 42 NGO members and their implementing partners. Ireland has provided a total of €2.6 million to the Start Fund since 2013 and allocated an additional €1.3 million to the Start Fund earlier this week.

• The International Federation for the Red Cross, a key partner for Ireland, has released more than 270,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to bolster initial search and rescue and recovery efforts. These emergency funds will enable volunteers to assist more than 9,000 people with search and rescue, first aid, health care, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion and emergency food. Ireland provided €1.1m to this fund last year.

• Sierra Leone is one of Ireland’s Key Partner Countries. Our development programme with Sierra Leone is aligned with the priorities of the Sierra Leone Government’s Ebola recovery and transition plans, while maintaining a focus on longer term governance and development priorities which remain crucial for the country.

In response to overwhelming levels of humanitarian suffering across the globe, Ireland has given an extra €9 million in funding to one of our key humanitarian partners - the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This new contribution brings our total support to the CERF to €22 million this year alone and shows Ireland’s strong commitment to saving lives through humanitarian assistance.

The CERF is a large UN fund that speedily responds when crisis strikes or when an ongoing crisis suddenly worsens. The CERF also makes sure that people caught in crises that no longer make the headlines are not forgotten. Already in 2017, CERF has given $298 million to help people in 28 humanitarian crises around the world. This money allows urgent aid to be provided to the men, women and children affected by crisis, ultimately saving lives.

Large-scale global humanitarian need

In 2017, a staggering $23.5 billion is needed to help over 100 million people worldwide. Conflict in South Sudan, Syria and Yemen continues to cause intense suffering. Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan has completely destroyed houses, schools and hospitals. As many as 20 million of people in the world today are facing hunger so extreme that they are on the brink of famine. In Yemen, cholera – which is an entirely preventable disease - is devastating a war-torn and very poor population.

There are also many crises that we hear little about in the media. New outbreaks of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic this year have caused already terrible humanitarian situations to worsen. Sudden devastation has been caused by drought in Kenya, Tropical Cyclones in Madagascar and Mozambique, and flooding in Peru.

With no easy solutions to these many humanitarian crises, the international community must make sure the CERF can continue to respond. Ireland has continually supported the CERF to provide lifesaving assistance to people affected by crisis. Proudly, we are the eighth largest donor to the CERF since it was set up in 2005.

Kick-starting humanitarian response in emergencies

In sudden emergencies or when an ongoing crisis rapidly worsens, the CERF is one of the fastest ways to get urgent aid to where it is needed most. For example, the CERF has been one of the quickest and largest supporters of early humanitarian action in response to the drought, floods and cyclones linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.

In February this year the CERF provided $18.5 million for early response to the new drought in Ethiopia. The country was still reeling from the devastating effects of a 2015-2016 El Niño drought when rains failed again. CERF funding provided timely aid to more than 785,000 people suffering from hunger, malnutrition and severe water shortages in the worst-hit Somali region.

In late May, heavy monsoon rains caused widespread flooding and mudslides in Sri Lanka. The rains caused the death of over 200 people and homes, clinics, schools, roads and water systems were swept away, leaving many without access to clean water or adequate sanitation facilities. The CERF quickly responded, giving $4 million for life-saving shelter, health and food assistance for 120,000 people in the worst affected areas.

Responding to the threat of famine

In north-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen millions of people are facing extreme hunger. So far this year CERF funding of $128 million is helping bring people back from the brink of famine and avoid total humanitarian catastrophe in these countries.

For example in South Sudan, where famine has already hit earlier this year and conflict continues to drive extreme hunger, the CERF is responding. $15.5 million in CERF funding is supporting urgent humanitarian assistance in areas where famine has occurred or a high risk of famine exists, helping some 369,000 people in the worst affected areas.

Leaving no-one behind

When a crisis fades from the headlines, or never makes the headlines, it is very difficult to raise the funding needed to help - even where there are huge humanitarian needs. The largest single amount of funding given by the CERF so far this year of $100 million is supporting response to humanitarian needs in nine of the worlds most neglected and underfunded crises.

This funding aims to reach 6 million people with life-saving relief in emergencies where humanitarian suffering is alarmingly high, but available resources are critically low, such as Cameroon, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda. Much of this funding will also help people who have been forced to flee their homes. Displacement is one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges today, with some 65 million people worldwide forcefully displaced.

Trends and key figures

Since 01 January 2017 until 31 July 2017, 119,300 refugees and migrants have arrived by sea and land to Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus only, including arrivals to the Canary Islands and by land to Spain). Arrivals by sea in this period comprised of 18% children, 14% women and 68% men. In July, there was a decrease in the number of refugees and migrants entering Europe via the Central Mediterranean route to Italy (by 43%) compared to the same month last year and an increase through the Western Mediterranean route to Spain by more than triple compared to July 2016 (from 775 to 2,657). Arrivals to Spain remained, however, much smaller than those arriving via the Central Mediterranean route. Meanwhile arrivals through the Eastern Mediterranean route to Greece increased during July 2017 in comparison to last year.

Between 1 January and 31 July, 95,200 refugees and migrants had arrived in Italy by sea, including 12,700 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) (13% of sea arrivals), this level of arrivals is similar to that of 2016, with a lower level of arrivals in July 11,500 in 2017 vs. 23,600 in 2016. In Spain, 12,200 persons have arrived by sea and land between January and July 2017 compared to 5,700 in the same period last year, a 113% increase. The number of arrivals to Andalucía, in southern Spain, (7,909), is 212% higher than the same period last year (2,537). Between June and July, 5,345 arrivals were registered in Spain. An increasing number of Syrian families continue to arrive in Melilla.

As of 31 July 2017, 11,500 refugees and migrants reached Greek shores in 2017, compared to 152,600 arriving in the same period last year (a 92% reduction). Persons mainly originate from the Syrian Arab Republic (37%) and Iraq (13%). While the number of sea crossings between January and April this year was vastly lower (97%) than during the same period in 2016, the number of arrivals between May and July this year was 37% higher than in the same three-month period last year. Since May, the number of Syrian and Iraqi arrivals has been higher than for the same period last year, although still significantly lower than 2015 and early 2016, while the number of Afghans has dropped.

Arrivals in July have been to Lesvos (52%), followed by Samos (22%), Chios (8%), and the South Dodecanese islands (8%). Irregular onward movement from Greece to other European countries remains a concern as people risk falling victim to traffickers and smugglers.

According to Turkish authorities, the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) rescued/intercepted 1,743 people during July. The total number of rescues/interceptions by the Turkish Coast Guard of persons mostly headed to Greece by sea reached 9,394 as of 31 July 2017 since the beginning of the year.

There has been a slight decrease in interceptions by Turkish Land Forces at the western land borders of Turkey. The figures dropped down to 2,090 persons in July 2017 from 2,725 in June 2017, which represents a 23% decrease. Together with July figures, interceptions at the Greek and Bulgarian land borders increased to 13,189 persons since the beginning of the year. This figure is a major increase (83%) when compared to the first seven months of 2016.4 Between January and July 2017, 530 refugees and migrants arrived in Cyprus compared to 58 in the same period last year. A rising trend in Syrian nationals arriving to Cyprus has been observed; in July they make up the main nationality represented. The majority reportedly departed from Turkey and many are families. Arrivals consists of 48% men, 15% women and 36% children (of which 6.2% are UASC).

Dead and missing: as of 31 July 2017, an estimated 2,409 people have died or gone missing while trying to reach Europe by sea, compared to 3,127 for the same period in 2016.

This week, Ireland is dispatching over 100 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Uganda to help refugees from South Sudan, who have been forced to flee their homes by continuing conflict, violence and acute hunger. Two airlifts will fly supplies, including tarpaulins for shelter, blankets, cooking sets, and mosquito nets, to Entebbe in Uganda for distribution to refugee camps hosting South Sudanese refugees. South Sudan has been wracked by conflict since December 2013, and is now one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world with nearly 2 out of 3 people of its total population of 12 million in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. In the last four years, 2 million people have been internally displaced in the country, and 1.9 million people have fled as refugees to neighbouring countries. People continue to flee the country in vast numbers, and it is young people who have been most impacted by the crisis, with two-thirds of South Sudanese refugees under the age of 18.

In response to this human suffering Ireland has played its part. We have been actively supporting those affected by this crisis, both in South Sudan and in neighbouring countries where many have sought refuge from fighting. Since 2012, Ireland has supplied €46 million in assistance and last year, Ireland’s support amounted to €11 million.  So far this year, Ireland has already provided €8 million. Through our Rapid Response Initiative, Ireland is able to react with great speed to evolving humanitarian crises, by prepositioning stocks of humanitarian supplies in various United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots, managed by the World Food Programme. In 2016, this allowed Irish Aid to airlift 357 tonnes of emergency relief supplies to families and communities in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Iraq, Niger and Nigeria, and to families affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. This year,  102 tonnes were airlifted into Somalia in April and 34 tonnes were airlifted into South Sudan last month, for distribution to people affected by drought, hunger and conflict. 

Announcing the latest airlifts to South Sudan, Minister Flanagan reflected on the tragic impact of the conflict on South Sudanese civilians,

“I am deeply concerned by the high levels of population displacement both internally and to neighbouring countries, with one in four people now driven from their homes. It is an immense tragedy that 1.9 million people have been forced to flee South Sudan as refugees since the end of 2013.” 

Minister Flanagan further noted that the root causes of the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan must be addressed to ensure that the current crisis is resolved and that future generations enjoy a stable and prosperous future. In this vein, Minister Flanagan called on the Government of South Sudan and the international community to redouble their efforts to stop the violence,

“The Government of South Sudan, countries in the region and the international community must step up efforts to end the cycle of protracted conflict and violence that is driving displacement in and from South Sudan. Ireland, together with our EU and UN partners, will continue to work for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”  

In the joint announcement of the airlifts, Minister of State McHugh took the opportunity to highlight the positive role being played by neighbouring countries, especially Uganda’s liberal refugee policy, in the face of such immense human needs and in the context of limited resources,

“Uganda is now hosting the largest refugee population in Africa, hosting 930,000 South Sudanese refugees, as well as around 300,000 refugees of other nationalities. I saw first-hand the mammoth scale of needs among refugees when I visited Adjumani in northern Uganda last year. Many arrived with only what they could carry. The international community must work harder to meet the immediate and longer term needs of refugees in Uganda and elsewhere.

“Our assistance to this crisis needs to be commensurate with the solidarity shown by the Ugandan and other host Governments in the region whose resources are increasingly overstretched and depleted.  Ireland commends the Government of Uganda’s open-door and progressive refugee policy.”

On 22-23 June, Ireland will participate in the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees, co-hosted by the UN and the Ugandan Government. This will present the international community with the opportunity to pledge more support to Uganda in its efforts to accommodate the huge influx of vulnerable people and ensure their dignity is respected and their human needs are met. Minister of State McHugh vowed,

“Ireland will continue to do what it can to support the Government of Uganda in our diplomatic relations and through our aid programme.” 

Highlights

According to available data, there have been 72,377 new arrivals to Greece,
Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Spain between 1 January and 31 May 2017.

Until 31 May 2017, there were estimated 60,228 cumulative arrivals to Italy, compared to 47,851 arrivals recorded at the end of the same month in 2016 (26% increase). Contrary to that, Greece has seen a 95% lower number of arrivals by the end May 2017 when compared to the same period 2016 (8,025 and 158,461 respectively).

At the end of May, total number of migrants and refugees stranded in Greece, Cyprus and in the Western Balkans reached 72,799. Since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement on 18 March 2016, the number of migrants stranded in Greece increased by 55%. More information could be found on page 5.

Between October 2015 and 31 May 2017, 20,289 individuals have been relocated to 24 European countries. Please see page on relocationsfor more information.

In the first four months of 2017, total of 1,191 migrants and refugees were readmitted from Greece to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey Statement. The majority of migrants and refugees were Pakistani, Syrian, Algerian, Afghan, and Bangladeshi nationals (more info in Turkey section).

More information about Central Mediterranean and the contingency countries in the Western Balkans is available on pages 35 and 36.

Kampala, Uganda, 17 June 2017 - The Government of Ireland completed yesterday the airlifting of essential relief items worth €500,000 (more than 2 billion UGX) to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. This critically needed assistance includes blankets, shelter construction materials, cooking sets and mosquito nets.

Irish Aid, the Irish Government’s programme for overseas development, covered the costs of two separate airlifts to Uganda – one from Dubai on the 11th of June and another one from Accra on 16th of June. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, received the supplies at Entebbe International Airport and will distribute them to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda’s districts of Arua and Lamwo.

This support comes at a critical time, with around 2,000 South Sudanese refugees arriving in Uganda daily since July 2016, when a new conflict erupted in Juba and quickly spread to other parts of the country. The fighting has continued to drive people from their homes across the border into Uganda, which now hosts more than 1.2 million refugees – 960,000 from South Sudan alone. Despite the pressure of this unprecedented influx, Uganda has maintained its refugee welcoming policy, keeping its borders open and continuing to provide refugees with land, shelter, freedom of movement and access to services.

The people of Ireland have continued to offer support to the South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, and have provided €3 million in lifesaving assistance in 2016, including €1,114,000 to UNHCR.

“We are so grateful to the Irish people for showing solidarity with refugees,” says Bornwell Kantande, UNHCR Representative in Uganda. “Such display of generosity clearly signals that Ireland stands with Uganda and the communities who have opened their doors and hearts to men, women and children fleeing conflict and violence in their home countries.”

In September 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration, whereby 193 states pledged robust support to countries affected by large movements of refugees and migrants. “We hope more countries will follow the example of Ireland and will join forces to support Uganda’s progressive refugee model,” says Kantande.

END

About UNHCR UNHCR leads and co-ordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. Today, a staff of more than 9,300 people in 123 countries continues to help and protect millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless people. In Uganda, UNHCR provides protection and humanitarian assistance to more than 1.25 million refugees in coordination with the Government of Uganda and partners.
Follow UNHCR on Twitter @refugees and Facebook www.facebook.com/UNHCR and www.facebook.com/UNHCRUganda

About Irish Aid
Irish Aid is the Irish Government’s programme for overseas development. The programme is managed by the Development Co-operation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The work we do in fighting global poverty and hunger is integral to Ireland’s foreign policy. Irish Aid has been working in Uganda for 23 years. Its current Country Strategy Paper (CSP) runs from 2016-2020 and has a strong focus on Karamoja and support to the Humanitarian Response in Uganda. Follow Irish Aid on Twitter @Irish_Aid / @IrlEmbUganda and Facebook www.facebook.com/IrishAidCentre

**For more information, please contact:*

UNHCR
In Kampala, Stephanie Perham, Donor Relations Officer, perham@unhcr.org, +256 775 822 957
In Kampala, Rocco Nuri, Reporting Officer, nuri@unhcr.org, +256 779 663 793
In Kampala, Katherine Wainwright, Associate External Relations Officer, wainwrig@unhcr.org, +256 775 825 592

Irish Aid
H.E. Dónal Cronin, Ambassador, donal.cronin@dfa.ie, +256 772 744 402

Key Concerns
- The EU-Turkey plan is not designed in the best interests of refugees and asylum seekers, including Syrian civilians, but is instead focuses on containing the flow of displaced people trying to reach European countries.
- The plan has the potential to seriously erode the crucial protection for refugees afforded them under international law by designating Turkey a safe third country– leading to potential violation of the principle of non-refoulement.
- With its focus on Syria, the deal risks creating a hierarchy of refugees which violates the fundamental principle that all asylum applications should be considered on their own merit, regardless of where the applicant is from.
- The EU and Turkey’s assurance that asylum seekers will not have their rights violated, that they will have their asylum claims reviewed on an individual basis and that no one will be victims of collective expulsions, is not convincing given the scale of the numbers involved and the time line proposed – both of which raises serious concerns about the ability of the EU and Turkey to deliver on these commitments.
- The EU-Turkey plan damages the credibility of the EU, undermines the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid and sets a dangerous precedent of principled humanitarian donors motivated by political agendas.

900 vulnerable women assisted by FAO to improve nutrition and rebuild economic self-reliance

12 July 2017, Maiduguri – To strengthen resilience of communities from the loss of livestock assets, FAO distributed 3600 goats to improve household nutrition and rebuild livelihood of vulnerable communities. Around 900 vulnerable women including some from women headed households are being assisted.

This is part of efforts led by the government to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in areas inflicted by Boko Haram violence. The conflict has provoked the displacement of up to 2.4 million people. Many of them got their livestock confiscated or left these assets behind to flee for their life, thus impairing their livelihood. Hosting communities also suffered severe livestock losses due to poor access to animal health services as a result of damage to veterinary infrastructure.

This emergency distribution has come as the Government of the Republic of Ireland contributed USD 325,326 to rebuild livelihood and address food insecurity to combat hunger in North East Nigeria. The goat distributions have targeted, internally displaced population, returnees and host communities in Borno. The local government area of Borno – Jerre, Maiduguri Metropolitan and Kondua is where the goats were distributed. Four goats, three breeding females and one male distributed per household.

“Animal restocking is crucial for the benefit of women for whom goats play a major role for the household nutrition security through the provision of milk and a source of revenue to address other household challenges”, says Patrick David, interim Country Representative, FAO, Nigeria.

After receiving four goats, 35-year-old Bintu Usman, a host community member said, “We don’t have food sometimes, my husband is paralyzed for last 5 years due to injuries sustained during the conflict. As an only earning member, I will keep these goats to reproduce so we can sell some of them and buy grains”.

This handover of goats is complimented by World Food Program (WFP)’s provision of cash based assistance to the women beneficiaries.

The two track approach of “cash + livestock” named “cash + approach” will ensure that communities can sustain their livelihoods while they re - launch themselves into this short cycle livestock activities.

To make this livelihood sustainable, FAO further ensured that goats that meet specifications of good health and breeding performance are distributed to the communities.

“ We tag these goats, weigh them, collect temperature and blood samples to ensure these are healthy goats and they can reproduce. This will provide long term livelihood support to communities”, said 46-year-old Dr. Mohammad Modu Bukar, University of Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the facility in charge of goat quarantine and certification.

The Director of Agriculture at Jerre stated that efforts to distribute goats to vulnerable women would have a positive impact on farmers.

All partners involved urged the communities to not sell the goats until they have reproduced to sustain this livelihood support.

Highlights

According to available data, in the first half of 2017, there were more than 100,000 arrivals to Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Spain (101,559). This represents a 58% decrease when compared to the same period in 2016 when 239,925 arrivals were registered. This is mainly due to the sharpe decrease in arrivals to Greece.

Greece has seen a 93% lower number of arrivals by the end of June 2017 when compared to the same period 2016 (10,679 and 160,115 respectively). Contrary to that, there were estimated 83,639 cumulative arrivals to Italy by the end of June, a 18% increase compared to 70,222 arrivals recorded at the end of the same month in 2016.

At the end of June, total number of migrants and refugees present in Greece, Cyprus and in the Western Balkans reached 72,179. Since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement on 18 March 2016, the number of migrants stranded in Greece increased by 54%. More information could be found on page 5.

Between October 2015 and 30 June 2017, 23,228 individuals have been relocated to 24 European countries. Please see page on relocations for more information.

In the six four months of 2017, total of 1,228 migrants and refugees were readmitted from Greece to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey Statement.
The majority of migrants and refugees were Pakistani, Syrian, Algerian,
Afghan, and Bangladeshi nationals (more info in Turkey section).
More information about Central Mediterranean and the contingency

Developments

By the end of June 2017, more than 100,000 migrants from Middle East, Asia and Africa reached Europe. The total number of registered sea and land arrivals to Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria as of 30 June stands at 101,559 representing a 58% decrease when compared to the figure reported at the end of June 2016 (239,925). The decrease is mainly caused by a stark decline in the overall arrivals through the two main entry points in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Bulgaria. Greece received 93% less migrants in 2017 when compared to the end of June 2016, 160,115 vs. 10,679 respectively, with the reverse dynamic in arrivals between first and second quarter in 2017 and 2016. Namely, while significant decrease has been observed after March 2016 (mainly due to the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement), from the total of 152,617 in Q1 to 7,498 by the end of Q2 2016, a 42% increase is noticed in arrivals between the first and second quarter of 2017 , from 4,407 to 6,272 respectively. In addition, land arrivals to Bulgaria also dropped from 4,954 reported by the end of the second quarter of 2016, to 391 recorded during the same period in 2017.

In contrast to that, the available data for other countries of first arrival - Italy, Spain and Cyprus- shows an increase. As of 30 June 2017 Italian Ministry of Interior registered 83,752 new arrivals which is the highest number recorded for this period since 2014. It represents a 19% increase compared to June 2016 and 31% increase compared to June 2014. Spain has seen a 40% increase, from 4,606 in 2016 to 6,464 in 2017, while authorities in Cyprus reported 28 arrivals in the second quarter of 2016 and total of 273 by the end of June 2017.

Similarly, the number of dead and missing migrants is still high. As of 30 June 2017, a total of 2,256 migrants have been reported dead or missing (23% decrease compared to 2016). The Central Mediterranean route is still the most perilous one with 2,158 deaths recorded since January 2017.
Demographic profile of registered nationalities in Greece and Italy is notably different following already geographically established transit routes. Hence, migrants from Middle East and Central Asia comprise the majority of registered arrivals to Greece (62%), whereas African nationals represent the highest share of arrivals to Italy (min. 67%).

Migrants from Nigeria represent 17% of all migrants who arrived to Italy as of 30 June 2017. Comprising a 10% of all arrivals, Bangladeshi nationals represent* the second largest group, exceeding the share of Guinean migrants whose share decreased to 9% (from 13% reported in Q1). Migrants from Cote d´Ivoire comprise another 9% followed by migrants from the Gambia (6%), Senegal (6%) and Mali (6%). Arrivals to Italy are marked with a high percentage of children (15%), especially those travelling as unacompanied and separated. Since the beginning of this year,a total of 12, 239 children arrived to Italy. The vast majority (11,406) were unaccompanied and separated children mostly from Western Africa (Guinea, Cote d´Ivoire, the Gambia) and Bangladesh. Another 11% of migrants are adult females while adult males comprise 74% of the overall arrivals.

In Greece, increasing share of arrivals is consisted of Syrians (36%), Iraqi (13%) and Pakistani (7%) nationals. An interesting increase is observed in arrivals from Congo which represent 7% (697) of all arrivals at the end of June - a 102% increase compared to the same period in 2016. For the remaining 37% the shares seems to be rather equally distributed (>2%) among more than 55 different nationalities.

Severe humanitarian crises are affecting a number of countries across East Africa – in large parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Kenya millions of people are living in dire circumstances. These crises are driven by drought and conflict, often resulting in large-scale displacement of people from their homes. Ireland is responding to the crises through our humanitarian assistance programme, managed by Irish Aid.

The situation is grim, and the suffering immense. Some of the worst affected areas in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are yet to recover from the 2015-16 El Niño drought. Violent conflict continues in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, causing massive suffering in a region already weakened by the effects of severe and recurring drought. Record numbers are facing extreme hunger, many of whom are children. The UN estimates that almost 30 million people are in need across the region.

What is being done?

Emergency financing and early action are key to preventing further catastrophe and avoiding famine in the region. The international community is responding to the crises, yet the needs continue to rise. East Africa has long been a priority region for Ireland’s overseas development assistance and humanitarian response. Since 2012, Ireland has given a total of €125 million in humanitarian assistance to the region. This assistance has been steadily increasing over the last five years in response to increasing need - from €13.5 million in 2012 to €29 million in 2016. In 2017, Ireland has to date provided almost €22 million in humanitarian assistance to the region and we are committed to continuing to alleviate the ongoing significant levels of humanitarian need.

Ireland channels its funding through our UN and NGO partners on the ground. We contribute to UN Humanitarian Pooled Funds for Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, which allocate funding in-country to a broad range of partners, including UN organisations, and national and international NGOs. The Pooled Funds form part of the Humanitarian Response Plan for each country, and the funding is allocated to meet critical humanitarian needs ranging from food assistance, to protection, to livelihoods support. Other key UN partners for Ireland in the region are UNICEF and UNHCR. In 2017 for example, Ireland contributed €1 million to UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children Appeal for South Sudan, which has a particular focus on treating acute malnutrition.

A central feature of Ireland’s overseas humanitarian assistance programme is our Rapid Response Initiative, which includes the Rapid Response Corps. In 2016, Irish Aid deployed 6 Rapid Responders to the East Africa Region. So far this year, Ireland has airlifted emergency humanitarian stocks to Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda (for South Sudanese refugees). These emergency supplies are directed to meeting urgent needs of those caught in the crisis, for example, the airlift to Somalia contained over 100 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies to support Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and drought-affected households. This airlift, worth over €600,000, included blankets, jerry cans, cooking sets, family hygiene kits, tarpaulins and solar lamps for distribution to 4,000 vulnerable families, recently displaced by drought and acute hunger, and now living in informal settlements.

Through our embassy network in East Africa, and engagement with our international humanitarian partners, we continue to monitor the situation, and endeavour to target Irish humanitarian assistance to where the need is greatest.

East Africa’s Humanitarian Crises

Gripped by drought and wracked by conflict for over twenty years, Somalia is one of the most challenging environments for humanitarian aid operations. It is also the most fragile state in the world. The situation continues to deteriorate with 6.7 million people now in need of humanitarian assistance, representing more than half of the population. So far in 2017, Ireland has provided almost €6 million in humanitarian assistance to our United Nations (UN) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) partners on the ground. This support is focused on saving lives, alleviating suffering, building resilience for women and children and increasing timely access to life saving health, nutrition and livelihood intervention for the Somali people.

South Sudan is also facing a severe, large-scale conflict-driven humanitarian crisis resulting in massive displacement. Over 6 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance. With some 3.9 million people displaced, including 1.9 million people who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, it is the largest refugee crisis in Africa. The levels of hunger and malnutrition are unprecedented. International humanitarian actors moved quickly in response to the famine, declared there in February this year, however a serious threat of new famine remains. In 2017, Ireland has contributed over €10 million in humanitarian assistance to our UN and NGO partners on the ground. Our funding has supported emergency responses for South Sudanese people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene and nutrition/food security projects for displaced people within South Sudan.

The longstanding humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to drive displacement and food insecurity. Although the crisis is linked to years of conflict, El Niño-related drought and low rainfalls have contributed to a worsening of the situation. Some 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with many facing severe hunger. Sudan hosts over half a million refugees, mostly from South Sudan, placing pressure on local populations especially in the Darfur regions. Some 600,000 Sudanese have also fled to neighbouring countries due to armed conflict and violence. To date in 2017, Ireland has provided over €3.6 million in humanitarian funding to the crisis in Sudan. Assistance has been provided through our UN partners and two NGO partners, Trócaire and World Vision. Our funding to Trócaire is intended to help strengthen a network of outreach clinics for the treatment of malnutrition among women and children. Our partner World Vision is focused on building the resilience of women and children through education and protection programmes.

Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years. The northern, eastern and central parts of the country bore the brunt of negative El Nino weather conditions over the 2015-2016 period, with back-to-back seasons of poor rainfall. A new drought has now emerged in southern Ethiopia, as the country continues to struggle with the effects of previous drought. The number of people requiring humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia has increased dramatically between January and March this year, from 5.6 million to 7.8 million. So far in 2017, Ireland has contributed over €2.6 million to the Ethiopia crisis. Our support is helping Trócaire provide emergency nutrition and livelihood support to affected communities in one of the worst-affected regions of Ethiopia. Funding has also been provided to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support programmes on Gender Based Violence in emergencies for refugees and to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for its response to the needs of displaced persons and refugees.

Kenya also faces recurrent drought, flooding, malnutrition and food insecurity, compounded by disease outbreaks, Al Shabaab related violence and inter-communal conflict over water and land. Drought conditions have worsened in eastern, coastal and north-eastern regions of the country. Food security is deteriorating due to widespread crop failures and loss of livestock. Over 3 million people are facing acute hunger, and this figure is expected to rise over the coming months due to the recent late and insufficient rains. So far in 2017, Ireland has contributed over €430,000 to the Kenya crisis. This includes funding to Christian Aid’s emergency drought response in North Horr, northern Kenya, and Trócaire’s emergency cash transfer intervention to the drought-related nutrition crisis in Turkana, also in northern Kenya. Our assistance is also supporting the International Rescue Committee’s work on the prevention of gender-based violence.

Ireland will continue to support efforts to respond to the humanitarian crises that are affecting large areas of East Africa. As the region continues to suffer the combined impacts of drought, hunger and conflict, Ireland will continue to work with other donor countries, and our UN, Red Cross, and NGO partners to assist the most vulnerable populations affected and alleviate suffering.