Kuwait will donate 100 million US dollars for earthquake victims in Pakistan, Kuwaiti Minister of Information Anas al-Rushaid said on Monday.

"The cabinet has decided to donate 100 million dollars to Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which has taken the lives of thousands of people," the Kuwait News Agency ( KNA) quoted the minister as saying.

"We share with the Pakistani people their acute tragedy and Kuwait as customary is at the forefront of those extending a helping hand in situations such as this," al-Rushaid was quoted as saying.

Half of the donated amount will go for immediate relief aid via the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society and other regional and international organizations, according to a cabinet statement.

The other half will be allocated to the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to fund reconstruction projects in the quake- stricken areas, it added.

A massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rattled Pakistan and northern India on Saturday, causing severe damage and huge casualties.

Source: Xinhua