NEW YORK — The Irish Government has announced a funding package of €96 million aimed at tackling acute child hunger and malnutrition across the African continent.
Speaking at a high-level event co-organized by UNICEF in New York, Taoiseach Micheál Martin reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to international development aid and humanitarian support. The financing will be channeled through UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the international humanitarian organization Concern to deliver targeted intervention and emergency nutrition programs.
“More Than Our Words Alone”
Addressing delegates and aid representatives, the Taoiseach stressed the urgent need for concrete funding commitments in response to global crises.
“Children at risk today need more than our words alone,” Martin stated during his address, emphasizing that international aid reductions must not leave vulnerable populations unprotected.
He urged the international community to safeguard aid budgets, warning against allowing children to suffer the fallout of reduced humanitarian spending globally.
Strategic Allocation
The funding package will focus on prevention, severe acute malnutrition treatment, and food security infrastructure:
- UNICEF & WHO: Resources will support critical health facilities, emergency therapeutic feeding programs, and severe acute malnutrition treatments for infants and young children.
- Concern Worldwide: On-the-ground nutrition initiatives will work directly with localized farming communities to strengthen resilient food systems and prevent recurring severe malnutrition.
Partner organizations and humanitarian leaders expressed gratitude to the Irish Government for maintaining its funding trajectory despite global economic pressures, noting that sustained political will remains vital to protecting youth in high-risk zones.
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