Govt gives more to UN refugee fund

An extra €800,000 has been granted to aid the United Nations’ refugee agency, which is under enormous strain coping with a large number of natural disasters, it was confirmed today.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the tsunami disaster, the ongoing problems in south Sudan, Darfur and Chad and the earthquake in Pakistan had left the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stretched to its limits.