The Government has announced a €5 million humanitarian aid package for Iraq.
The Minister for Overseas Development and Human Rights, Mr Tom Kitt, announced the grant of which over half will to go the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations children's fund (Unicef).
The remainder will be distributed between Irish non-governmental agencies, other United Nations bodies and other groups.
Minister Kitt said the key focus of the package would be emergency support for health services, water and sanitation facilities, food supplies and backing for internally displaced persons.
He said: "The situation on the ground in Iraq is volatile and dangerous. "The top priority has to be to get humanitarian aid in so as to meet as quickly as possible the needs of the most vulnerable Iraqi people.
Mr Kitt also highlighted the "enormous problems" presented by the overburdened hospitals, food and water shortages, power cuts and widespread looting in Iraq. He called for the setting up of field hospitals to ease the pressure on Baghdad hospitals.