The United Nations has warned that it expects the number of dead in the Asian tsunami disaster will rise rapidly.
The warning came as international aid efforts to help survivors gathered pace. International military aircraft have begun to move vital supplies to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
The 9.0 magnitude undersea quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra sent tsunamis slamming into Indonesia, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other countries as far away as Africa.
The death toll is now estimated at more than 150,000, but authorities in each of the affected countries have said the true total may never be known. Thousands more are still missing.
Many communities which had been isolated since the disaster are receiving food and water. The UN says 1.8 million survivors of the disaster need food but that it could be two more weeks before some isolated communities are reached.
The authorities in Thailand say DNA samples are being taken from the bodies of all foreigners killed in the disaster there. So far, no Irish nationals have been identified among the dead.
People intending to travel to Thailand to search for missing relatives are being urged to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure they are bringing appropriate matching DNA samples.
According to some reports, at least five million people are displaced and medical experts have warned that many face the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, E.coli and salmonella.
The authorities in Indonesia say 94,000 people are now known to have died there in the tsunami disaster.
Supply planes carrying aid have reached the devastated Aceh province which was the worst hit area following the earthquake and tsunamis. However, reporters have described scenes of chaos as survivors scramble to claim the food.
There are reports of some co-ordination problems in bringing the aid to the more remote areas of Aceh. Aid agencies have expressed shock at the conditions in which displaced people are living.
Many survivors are staying in small improvised camps, staffed mainly by local volunteers.
US marines arrive in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the first of a contingent of 1,500 US marines have arrived in the city of Galle, while Royal Navy vessels are expected in the capital Colombo, in the next 24 hours.
The relief operation there is being aided by the co-operation of the government and Tamil Tiger rebels working together to hand out aid.
Meanwhile, the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has arrived in the region today to assess the scale of the disaster and to help co-ordinate relief efforts.
The European Union's EU Development Aid Commissioner, Louis Michel, has also travelled there.
On Thursday both men will attend an emergency summit of world leaders in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to discuss the provision of aid to countries affected by the disaster.
Back home, the Taoiseach has called for the observance of three minutes silence at 11am on Wednesday, 5 January.
Donation contact numbers
The following are contact numbers for some of the aid agencies appealing for donations for the humanitarian operation in the wake of Sunday's disaster in southern Asia.
Irish Red Cross: 1850 50 70 70
Concern: 1850 410 510 / from NI 0800 410 510
Trócaire: 1850 408 408 / from NI 0800 912 1200
UNICEF Ireland: 1850 767 999 / from NI 08457 312 312
GOAL: 01 2809779
Oxfam Ireland: Lo-call 1890 60 60 65 / from NI 0845 303 0337
The Hope Foundation: 021 4292990
Disasters Emergency Committee (UK umbrella body): 0870 60 60 900
