Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 15 and 16 together.

The Government and our EU partners remain seriously concerned at the situation in Sudan. Heavy fighting, including air strikes, has been taking place across Khartoum and the rest of Sudan since 15 April. Hospitals and critical infrastructure have been attacked. At least 500 people have been killed and thousands injured. Civilians are the main victims of the conflict, with many trapped in their homes, unable to access essential supplies.

A series of ceasefires were announced but they did not hold. However, the three-day ceasefire announced by the US Secretary of State, Mr. Blinken, on 24 April has eased the situation in some areas. Nevertheless, the situation remains very volatile and dangerous. Since the outbreak of hostilities, I have consistently expressed our deep concern and called on all parties to immediately commit to a ceasefire and allow access for medical and humanitarian assistance.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has conveyed to the ambassador of Sudan in Dublin our concern about the safety and security of our citizens. We have emphasised the obligation on the authorities to ensure the protection of all civilians, the provision of humanitarian access, and the protection of diplomatic personnel. Our embassy in Nairobi, which is accredited to Sudan, and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin have been in continuous contact with Irish citizens in the country and have been advising and assisting with the process of evacuation of civilians. Since 23 April, 116 Irish citizens and family members have been assisted to leave Khartoum, mainly on fights to Djibouti, Jordan and Cyprus. I am particularly grateful for the assistance with these flights of our EU partners France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. We also deeply appreciate the assistance of the United Kingdom in evacuating Irish citizens in recent days.

On 23 April, the Government approved the deployment of an emergency consular assistance team mission led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, to augment the ongoing consular support being provided to Irish citizens and to support evacuation operations led by EU member states. The team, currently based in Djibouti, includes officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and 12 members of the Defence Forces. The Department is also providing consular support to people evacuated to Djibouti, Jordan, Cyprus and other cities in Europe.

Even before the current outbreak of violence, some 16 million people in Sudan, one third of the population, were in need of humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian operations are now almost impossible, with most organisations suspending operations. A humanitarian pause in hostilities is vital to allow civilians to access basic supplies. Ireland has been a long-standing partner to the people of Sudan, providing more than €35 million in humanitarian and development aid since 2018. Earlier this month, we provided €3 million to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund to respond to the urgent humanitarian need.

On 24 April, I discussed the crisis in Sudan with other EU foreign Ministers at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The Government will continue to work closely with our EU and other partners for an end to the conflict and to support the people of Sudan to return to a peaceful and democratic path.

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