The country's leading international humanitarian organisation, Concern Worldwide, has today reacted strongly to the Government's announcement that Ireland's official aid budget is to be cut by another 100 million euros.
This latest 100m euro cut in overseas aid is the fourth cut in just over 10 months, following the 95 million euro cut in February 2009, the 15 million euro cut in October 2008, and the 45 million euro cut in July 2008. The cumulative figure represents total cuts in overseas aid of 255 million euros in less than a year.
Today's cut, together with February's cut, represents 22 percent of the 2009 overseas development aid (ODA) budget as published by the Government in October 2008.
"To cut overseas aid on this scale is hugely disproportionate," says Concern Worldwide CEO, Tom Arnold. "We realise that the Irish Government finds itself with tough choices to make at home, but this latest cut means that certain overseas programmes - many of which are quite literally a matter of life or death - will have to be stopped altogether or scaled down significantly.
"The cumulative effect of four cuts in less than a year will have very serious humanitarian ramifications in the developing world at a time when the developed world needs to keep its aid promises to the poorest developing countries," added Mr Arnold.
Last year alone, an additional 40 million people in developing countries joined the ranks of the hungry and malnourished, bringing to 963 million the total number of people now suffering from hunger on a daily basis. This is expected to reach one billion people by the end of 2009.
Mr Arnold continued: "Ireland gained huge respect internationally when it announced at the UN in 2000 its commitment to reach 0.7 percent aid target by 2007 - just 70 cent in every 100 euros. In 2005, then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern re-committed Ireland, again at the UN, to that target by 2012. Today's cut means there is now a very real risk of Ireland not reaching the target to which it has twice committed at the UN."
"It is part of our DNA as Irish people that we have a real sense of moral, practical and political support for people in the poorest and most vulnerable of circumstances," he added. "Humanitarian aid is one of the things that Ireland does well and for which it has received international plaudits. This latest cut seriously undermines our international reputation for our sense of fairness, justice, and solidarity."
For further information:
Paul O'Mahony, Concern Worldwide Press Office
Telephone 01 417 7750 or 087 965 3877
Email paul.omahony@concern.net
Notes for Editors:
Concern Worldwide is an international, non-governmental, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries. Concern works with the poorest of the poor in 28 countries. In 2008, Concern responded to 37 emergencies in 18 countries, reaching 8.4 million people. Last year, its livelihoods (earning a living) projects benefitted 17 million people.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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