THE MILLENNIUM Development Goals (MDGs) will not be reached by 2015 unless solutions can be found to the food crisis and the effects of climate change, Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power said yesterday.
Mr Power expressed particular concerned at a lack of progress in sub-Saharan Africa. It is “lagging far behind the other regions” in attaining the development goal of eradicating poverty and extreme hunger, he said. “This is of particular concern to us given that over 80 per cent of Irish aid goes to support programmes in Africa.”
Mr Power was addressing an Irish aid conference in Dublin, ahead of a UN meeting in September to mark the halfway point between the agreement of the goals in 2000 and the target date for implementation of 2015.
Some €44 million will be given to Uganda this year, making Ireland one of its biggest donors. John O’Shea of Goal raised concerns this year about Irish aid being given to Uganda because of corruption. But Ugandan education minister Geraldine Nimirembe Bitamazire said the aid was going “directly” to people.
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