The Government announced tonight that it is to double the amount of aid it provides to strife-torn regions in the Middle East.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and Minister of State Conor Lenihan said the additional €1 million will help address the mounting humanitarian crises in Lebanon and Gaza.
Mr Ahern, speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, said he was pleased the summit had called for an immediate cessation of violence with one voice.
"I urge all sides to heed this call. It is essential that the political process at the United Nations be stepped up so as to achieve a political settlement which will allow for an international force to be deployed," he said.
"At the same time, there are immediate and growing humanitarian needs which must be met."
Mr Lenihan said the difficulty of access being experienced by aid agencies in Lebanon was shocking. "Humanitarian aid should be available to affected populations at all times," he said.
"I call on all sides to move immediately to facilitate humanitarian access and to heed the advice of the United Nations in this regard. "Hundreds of thousands of people have already been displaced and many others are effectively trapped in their homes." M
Mr Ahern said the Government was assessing the humanitarian situation on an ongoing basis and working to ensure that protection of civilians, including aid workers, was paramount at all times.
"We will be in contact with humanitarian agencies, including our Irish partners, to identify how best to allocate this further funding," he added.
PA