The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Republic of Ireland concluded his international development mission to the Horn of Africa in South Sudan on Monday.
Charlie McConalogue is the first Irish Cabinet Minister to visit South Sudan and the primary focus of his visit was to engage with the World Food Programme (WFP), as Ireland prepares for a new Strategic Partnership Agreement with WFP for 2025 to 2027, according to a press statement.
“In its short 12-year history, South Sudan has been plagued by conflict and devastating weather events. Humanitarian assistance is required by 75 percent of its population, of which some 87 percent rely on agriculture, livestock, and forestry,” the statement read in part. “This has been exacerbated by the arrival of over 600,000 refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.”
Ireland’s support to South Sudan is through the Government of Ireland’s International Development Programme which includes partnerships with NGOs and multilateral agencies such as WFP and FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organisation).
“I am proud to be the first Cabinet Minister from Ireland to visit South Sudan and the first Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, to see how funding provided by my Department is supporting communities on the ground. The people here in South Sudan are predominantly pastoralists who rely on agriculture to feed their families and for their income,” Minister McConalogue said of his visit.
Reflecting on his visit to farm projects in Warrap State, South Sudan, the Minister said that the stark realities of farming were evident when speaking with the community of farmers at Molboor cattle camp in Juba.
“Disease, low productivity, and traditional practices are impacting negatively on their ability to support themselves. WFP South Sudan, under the leadership of Country Director, and Donegal native, Mary Ellen McGroarty, are supporting farmers to diversify their systems,” he said. “It was a privilege to speak to farmers, particularly women farmers, in Alek who with support from WFP are growing vegetables all year round with the use of purpose-built ponds and climate-resistant crops such as cassava. This improves resilience and food security, thereby reducing the need for food assistance.”
Minister McConalogue also met with NGOs and UN representatives strengthening relations that began with South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
“Practically all the Irish NGOs are present in the Horn of Africa and I met with representatives in all three countries,” he stated. “This is one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers to work in and I want to recognize them and thank them for the work they are doing.”
The Minister started his visit to the Horn of Africa in Kenya, where he announced a global funding commitment of €105m to WFP from Ireland for the period 2025 to 2027, a 40 percent increase on the previous three-year period. The funding will be provided by the Minister’s Department which is the lead for Ireland’s engagement with the WFP.
On the Ethiopian leg of his visit, the Minister earmarked € 30 million of the new funding commitment specifically for the Horn of Africa, a region of extreme need because of drought, conflict, and the ongoing impacts of climate change. He visited WFP operations in the Afar region in North Eastern Ethiopia.