State gives €814m to overseas projects

OVERSEAS projects received €814 million from Irish Aid last year, it wasannounced yesterday.

State gives €814m to overseas projects

The State was ranked as the sixth most generous per capita aid donor in theworld, supporting developments in more than 90 countries.

Meanwhile, more than €140m went to NGOs and missionaries to support their initiatives to reduce poverty.

In response to natural disasters and complex emergencies Irish Aid providedover €100m in assistance to 40 countries to meet basic humanitarian and recovery needs following such events in 2006, a 47% rise on humanitarian relief funding in 2005.

The agency’s annual report for 2006, which centred on a commitment to tackle HIV/Aids, reported that it achieved its target of spending €100m on communicable diseases.

Launching the report, Minister of State for Overseas Development Michael Kitt said Ireland allocates a greater proportion of its overseas development aidto tackling HIV/Aids than any other EU country. “The struggle against HIV and Aids is central to the fight against global poverty.”

The report found the total donated was more than 0.5% of the state’s GrossNational Product, placing the country on course to reach the UN target of spending 0.7% of GNP on overseas aid by 2012.

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