The Government last night pledged €1 million to help those caught up in the Bam earthquake, where up to 20,000 people are believed dead and 30,000 are injured, writes Arthur Beesley Political Reporter
News of the assistance came as the Irish Red Cross called on the public for financial donations.
The Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, Mr Tom Kitt, said the emergency aid would be used for the rescue operation and to meet immediate humanitarian needs.
Saying that the next 48 hours would be a criticial period, Mr Kitt said it was essential to respond as quickly as possible to limit any further loss of life.
The funding will be channelled mainly through the Red Crescent organisation and other agencies such as the United Nations.
The Irish Red Cross said it was on stand-by to send aid to victims of the earthquake.
Its chairman, Mr David Andrews, spoke with the Iranian ambassador, Mr Hossein Mirfakhar, to express condolences to the Iranian people.
Mr Andrews said every assistance would be made available to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, which has two million volunteers and 3,000 staff. Blankets were available for transport to the afflicted area, he said.
Mr Andrews's brother, the Dublin MEP Mr Niall Andrews, said in a statement yesterday that he, too, had conveyed his sympathy to the Iranian ambassador.
He said the Government should ensure through its forthcoming EU presidency that EU funds were made available for the relief of distress.
"I believe there will be a very strong level of support from our European partners for emergency EU funds to be transferred to the Iranian government to help those who are injured and to help in the reconstruction," he said. "The scale of the disaster is horifying."
Financial donations will be accepted by credit card through the Irish Red Cross website www.redcross.ie, by telephone to Callsave 1850 60 70 70 or by postal order or cheque to the Irish Red Cross Iran Appeal, 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The Irish Red Cross said the Iranian Red Crescent Society had set up two field hospitals and sent two helicopters to the city to help with the relief operation.
It said there had been some 1,000 earthquakes in Iran since 1991, killing some 17,600 people.
The earthquake yesterday struck at 5.28 a.m. and measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. A three-day period of mourning has been declared in Kerman province.