“Think for a moment of what it would be like this Christmas to be without a home. To be without a place of shelter. To be out in the cold. To be on your own, living on the streets.”

Trócaire commits an initial €400k to support communities impacted by quake in Pakistan and launches emergency appeal for donations.

“At this very moment, bombs are raining down on the residential neighbourhoods of the city. There may be as many as 60 dead and 300 wounded."

“Once again the ugly consequences of war have caused multitudes of good people to take great risks as they seek refuge in foreign lands.”

Charity provided eight schools in Dohuk and Erbil in Kurdish northern Iraq to where 120,000 Christians fled last summer after attacks by so-called Islamic State.

Emergency appeal launched: Trócaire requests public's support to help it deliver aid to those in dire need in following massive earthquake.

Irish aid agency GOAL has dispatched an emergency response team to assist in relief efforts as Nepal comes to terms with at least 1,300 deaths.

Sheer number of refugees is having a devastating impact.

Contribution recognises unprecedented scale of the crisis - Minister Costello.