Ireland is to donate over €5 million in humanitarian aid to help tackle the effects of drought in east Africa.
Minister of State Conor Lenihan announced the aid package for Kenya and other countries in the Horn of Africa region.
Conor Lenihan
"We have been in close contact with our key partners in the NGOs, International Red Cross and UN agencies to identify the most appropriate response in light of the terrible situation which is unfolding in the region," he said.
"Speedy and well focused assistance from the international community is of the essence. For our part, Ireland will help in a prompt and timely manner."
Mr Lenihan pledged to provide more funds for other crisis-stricken areas in Africa in the near future.
"It is simply not acceptable in the 21st century that so many of the world's poor face such acute vulnerability and threats to survival," he said.