The Irish Government invested a record-breaking €2.3 billion in overseas aid to some of the world's poorest countries in 2022, according to a new report.
Irish Aid, the Irish Government's international development aid program, said it invested almost €2.3 billion in Official Developmental Assistance (ODA) in 2022, including €880 million associated with the provision of services for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.
This figure represents 0.61% of Ireland's Gross National Income (GNI).
Excluding costs related to Ukrainian refugees, the Government still invested a record-breaking €1.4 billion in ODA in 2022, representing 0.39% of Ireland's GNI.
The previous highest ODA allocation was recorded in 2021 when €976 million was invested in foreign aid, representing a 40% increase in 2022 after costs related to Ukrainian refugees were excluded.
The five countries that received the highest amounts of bilateral ODA support from Ireland in 2022 were Ukraine, which received €53 million, Ethiopia (€41 million), Mozambique (€27 million), Tanzania (€25 million), and Uganda (€24 million).
In total, the Irish Government funded programs in more than 130 countries in 2022, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the figures showed that the Irish Government scaled up its foreign aid in 2022, despite the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
"Far from diverting our assistance from Africa to Ukraine, Ireland rapidly scaled up its support for communities needing support, particularly in the Horn of Africa where we invested €100 million in response to the worsening food crisis. We did this while also providing significant support to people in Ukraine and providing shelter to 85,000 Ukrainians in Ireland," Martin said in a statement.
Seán Fleming, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the report highlights Ireland's commitment to tackling issues that affect vulnerable communities around the world.
As part of its Sustainable Development Goals, Irish Aid aims to reduce humanitarian need, promote gender equality, strengthen governance, and support climate action.
The organization outlined its goals in the 2019 report "A Better World: Ireland’s Policy for International Development".
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