The Government has announced details of a €2 million emergency food aid package for famine-stricken people in Ethiopia.
Up to 14 million people in the east African country are at risk of food shortages, according to estimates from non-governmental aid agencies.
The Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance and Human Rights, Mr Kitt, warned that Ethiopia faces an even worse humanitarian disaster than the famines in 1984, which killed over one million people.
"The scale of the problem is so large and the situation has deteriorated so rapidly, that a co-ordinated and concerted international response to this tragedy is imperative," he said.
The Government had pledged €1 million in aid last month, but this has now been doubled in the face of the growing crisis, he said, adding he will visit the country in January to assess the need for further assistance, which the Government is prepared to provide.
Half of the €2 million will go directly to the UN World Food Programme for essential food relief, while the remainder will include contributions to Concern, GOAL and UNICEF.
Overseas aid, with a projected overall rise of €30 million to €450 million in 2003, is one of the few areas to show an increase in last week's Book of Estimates.
Department of Foreign Affairs aid allocation has rise from €340 million this year to €373 million next year.
Despite this, the Government remains distant far from its stated commitment to increase spending to UN targets.