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| THE HANDSTAND | MAY 2002 |
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| A LETTER
FROM BRIAN COWEN T.D. I have received the following from the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dublin (Ed. J. Braddell) On behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., I wish to reply to your e-mail 8th April, 2002, regarding assistance in supplying medical equipment to a hospital in Bethlehem for use in the current emergency. Ireland's Assistance to the Palestine people is delivered through a number of channels. Our bilateral aid programme in 200l amounted to IR£1.2m. This assistance was delivered in the key sectors of education, agriculture, primary health care training and micro-finance. These programmes are not only responding to development needs in Palestine but also to problems related to the continuing crisis. Funding of approx. IR£185,000 was also provided via a number of NGOs. In addition to this Ireland is a major contributor to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA), the UN Agency charged with assisting Palestine refugees in the occupied territories and in neighbouring countries. Our contribution to the UNWRA in 2001 was IR£2.2m which assisted in meeting special needs caused by the current intifada and the Israeli response. While endeavouring to meet the demands placed by this current emergency, Ireland's assistance to Palestine to date this year has amounted to E3.2m. This funding will be distributed to agencies working on the ground who are capable of delivering aid rapidly and effectively. A portion of this funding, E700,000, will assist UNWRA to repair over 600 shelters in the Gaza Strip and 1,700 homes in the West Bank; and will also enable UNWRA to provide emergency shelter supplies to meet the immediate needs of those whose homes have been destroyed. UNWRA Health Clinics which are currently the most accessible clinics for Palestinians will also benefit and the funding will support mobile health teams to reach patients who are unable or have difficulty in rea  ching clinics due to restrictions on
freedom of movement.Provision of supplies such as those requested in the e-mail may be available locally to the Hospital from the UNWRA and International Federation of the Red Crescent (IFRC) agencies who are on the ground dealing with the current emergency situation. Ireland will ofcourse keep abreast of this emergency situation and anticipate responding to further emergency funding from the above agencies on request. Yours sincerely, Joseph Hackett Private Secretary. 25th April 2002 |
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