Ireland is to provide €12m in funding and emergency supplies to help people affected by the Syria conflict.

The announcement was made by the Minister of State Seán Sherlock at a major humanitarian pledging conference for Syria in Kuwait.

The conference is designed to raise €7.7bn to help nearly 18 million people in Syria and the region this year.

Ireland has provided €3.3m of this funding to the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, and the World Food Programme so far.

Speaking from Kuwait, Mr Sherlock said: "The conflict in Syria has cost more than 200,000 lives and left more than 12 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance."

"Ireland's contribution of €12m in 2015 will help alleviate the terrible suffering of the Syrian people by funding life-saving humanitarian supplies and urgently-needed health, education, water and sanitation services, as well as measures to protect children and vulnerable people."

He also paid tribute to GOAL workers who were injured over the weekend in the conflict.

"I was greatly saddened to hear that three people working with GOAL have been injured in the on-going conflict and my thoughts are with them and their families. I want to underline the need for all parties to this conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to respect the safety and security of frontline humanitarian workers," he added.

The funding from Irish Aid will be provided to international humanitarian agencies on the ground - including the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and NGO partners.