Ireland increased its overseas development assistance by €108 million in 2021 compared to 2020, pledging to raise this to €1.2 billion in 2023. In response to challenges brought about by the humanitarian and climate change disasters, Ireland’s overseas development assistance reached various emerging countries across the globe.
In 2021, Ireland’s overseas development assistance (ODA) reached a record level of €976 million up from €868 million in 2020, according to the Irish Aid Annual Report. The previous record amount of ODA was €921 million, documented in 2008. In 2022, for overseas development, Ireland allocated €1.044 billion and the Government has pledged to disburse more than €1.2 billion for ODA in 2023.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D., commenting on the results of the report, said:
“In the face of growing challenges posed by conflict, climate change, COVID-19 and other crises, we redoubled our efforts to implement A Better World, Ireland’s development cooperation policy. January 2021 saw Ireland take up its seat as an elected member of the UN Security Council. Throughout the year, we worked to integrate our development and political priorities in contributing to the Council’s vital peace and security mandate.”
In 2021, Ireland allocated around €92 million to climate finance intended to mitigate global warming and to enable adaption to climate-related challenges. The country promised to increase this amount every year to reach €225 million by 2025 and to double the percentage of ODA for climate finance by 2030.
In 2021, for the first time as a full member, the Government of Ireland contributed to the African Development Fund and assisted the African Development Bank in its focus on climate adaptation and climate finance. To support emerging countries to fight the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure fair access to vaccines, the Government of Ireland committed €8.5 million to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, known as COVAX, and donated 5 million vaccines to low-income countries in 2021. The first donation was in September when the Government delivered 335,000 vaccines to people in Uganda. Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy T.D. said:
“During 2021, we provided vital support to partners in helping deliver vaccination programs globally. I was honored to be in Uganda to witness Irish vaccines being put into Ugandan arms. It was a striking example of Ireland’s solidarity and support for people around the world.”
Ireland allocated around €230 million via multilateral delivery channels to support emerging countries to respond to complex humanitarian disasters in 2021. For instance, in Palestine, Ireland donated €400,000 to the UN OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund in response to humanitarian disasters. Overall, in Palestine, Ireland contributed €1.5 million while in Sudan, it allocated €3.6 million for humanitarian assistance and for emergency food assistance through the World Food Programme, Ireland supported 235,000 refugees in Tanzania.
In 2023, apart from the areas already mentioned, a significant part of Ireland’s ODA is expected to be allocated to help to deal with humanitarian issues in Ukraine and its neighboring countries affected by the Russian military invasion.