The Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Mr. Colm Brophy, T.D.,y announced that funding of €500,000 will be provided to UNICEF to support their emergency response to the devastating earthquake that struck Afghanistan on 22 June 2022.
Announcing the funding, Minister Brophy said: “I wish to express my sincere condolences to the victims in Paktika and Khost provinces of Afghanistan, who have lost their loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. Ireland stands in steadfast solidarity with the Afghan people who continue to suffer the consequences of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. This natural disaster once again demonstrates why the Afghan people so desperately need the international community’s sustained humanitarian support.”
Even before this latest tragedy struck Afghanistan, nearly 20 million people, or half of the Afghan population, face acute hunger, with 3.5 million people displaced from their homes.
Minister Brophy added: “This half a million euro which I am announcing today is in addition to €3.25 million Irish Aid funding already disbursed to partners in Afghanistan this year. I would also emphasize the importance of Ireland’s core, pre-positioned funding to UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations. This enabled our humanitarian partners to respond immediately, including to support the search and rescue effort.”
UNICEF is a key partner of Irish Aid in Afghanistan and was one of the first responders to this earthquake, deploying mobile health and nutrition teams immediately. UNICEF is well-placed to provide the multi-sectoral support urgently needed by affected communities, including medical care, shelter, education, and child protection.