Tánaiste meets President Ruto, announces €15 million to combat child hunger

Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence, Micheál Martin TD met with Kenya’s President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi today to discuss cooperation on climate action, sustainable food systems, and on furthering trade and private sector connections between Kenya and Ireland. They also discussed Kenya’s vital leadership role in securing peace and stability in the region.

After meeting with President Ruto, the Tánaiste said:

“I am pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with President Ruto on the first day of my visit to the Horn of Africa. Ireland is proud of its long history of partnership with Kenya on a wide range of areas from education to climate action, in agriculture innovation and in sustainable development. Ireland deeply values Kenya’s leadership on critical issues of peace and security, including its championing of multilateral efforts to resolve ongoing conflicts and crises in the region.”

The Tánaiste also launched Ireland’s €15 million 3 year initiative aimed at combatting child wasting in the cross border Mandera Triangle region of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, named Hanaano meaning ‘nurture’ in Somali. The initiative is part of Ireland’s €50 million commitment under the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting. The Initiative is being led by Concern Worldwide in cooperation with a consortium of NGOs in the region, local and national authorities in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and the regional intergovernmental organisation Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The Tánaiste said:

“I am particularly proud to have been able to launch the Hanaano initiative today. Ireland knows all too well the horrors of hunger from its own history. Ireland is committed to contributing to ending the preventable tragedy of child wasting in the region by working closely with local communities, and our government and non-governmental partners.”

Notes for editors:

• Over the last five years, Ireland has provided over €415 million in bilateral funding to partners in the Horn of Africa working to provide humanitarian and long-term development assistance to vulnerable populations (primarily in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and Kenya), as well as providing support for conflict resolution and actions to counter the impact of climate change.

• At the height of the Horn food and drought crisis in 2022, Ireland’s bilateral investment in the region reached €102m. Last year Ireland spent over €85 million in the Horn.

• Child wasting refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height and is the result of recent rapid weight loss or the failure to gain weight.

ENDS

Press Office

16 July 2024