The Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, has announced that the Government is increasing its aid pledge for relief operations in Pakistan by €2 million.
The announcement by Mr Lenihan came at a meeting of EU development ministers in Leeds after a briefing by the UN's emergency relief co-ordinator, Jan Egeland. It brings the total amount pledged by the Government to €5m.
The money is to be allocated to Irish and international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies for relief and recovery operations in the wake of the south Asia earthquake.
Meanwhile, the Irish aid agency GOAL has launched an appeal for doctors and nurses to join its relief team in Kashmir.
The agency wants suitably qualified medical personnel to join its team, which is based in the Kashmir Mountains where 20,000 have died in the disaster.
The developments come as the UN's humanitarian office warned that there is only three weeks left to deliver aid to mountainous areas before the winter's first expected snowfall.
At least 53,000 people died and over 75,000 were seriously hurt in the 8 October disaster.
