Government launches new aid package

The Government has announced an aid package worth $5.5m that will span 41 separate humanitarian projects in 22 of the world’s poorest countries.

The package includes £250,000 that will be given to the survivors of last month’s earthquake in Peru and £100,000 to assist an International Red Cross programme that is aimed at coping with future natural disasters in Latin America when they happen.

Another project that is set to benefit from the initiative is a mine detection scheme in several different countries.

The Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs, Liz O’Donnell, said that the grants mark a new direction in Irish aid packages, addressing forgotten and sudden onset emergencies in a pro-active way instead of in a reactive manner.