During a session of the Subcommittee for Development Cooperation, on 7th October 2021, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg answered questions from members of the National Council about Austrian development policy. In his statement to the subcommittee, Alexander Schallenberg first addressed the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, which has reversed advances particularly in the area of development cooperation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). For this reason, the Foreign Minister reminded his audience about the importance of worldwide vaccine progress.
Looking at crises worldwide shows that the pandemic has not only negatively impacted development partnerships, but also frequently inflamed international crises and conflicts,
emphasised Foreign Minister Schallenberg.
The federal government has made a significant contribution in terms of distributing vaccines to countries in need. As a coordinator for the EU Vaccine Sharing Scheme, Austria has delivered 651,000 vaccine doses to the six western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. In addition, more than two million vaccine doses were rapidly donated to Ukraine, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Lebanon and Tunisia.
Another topic for the subcommittee was the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan following its takeover by the radical Islamic Taliban. Austria is providing a 20-million-euro emergency aid package. Through the UNHCR, this will help around 160,000 people by providing emergency shelter and urgently needed everyday supplies. The three million euros for the World Food Programme will guarantee food aid to 235,000 people for one month. An important aspect here is that aid is provided directly through the respective aid organisations, rather than flowing into state institutions that are controlled by the Taliban.
We need to provide help in those places where help is most urgently needed – namely on site in Afghanistan and in the region. With 20 million euros, we have set up the largest emergency aid package in the Second Republic,
said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
Given the increasing humanitarian crises worldwide, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was pleased that the budget resources available for humanitarian aid and development cooperation are steadily growing. Last year alone, the Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad (AKF) more than doubled. This year, the total rose to 52.5 million euros. That means the AKF funds have increased tenfold since 2016.
