VATICAN CITY —  Pope Benedict XVI (search) called on Sunday for more generous international aid for the victims of the Oct. 8 earthquake in South Asia, saying the needs had far outweighed the help offered so far.

Benedict made the appeal during his traditional Sunday blessing, delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square (search).

He noted that aid had poured into the region, "but the needs seem greater than the help offered so far."

"I renew my appeal to the international community, so that the efforts to support this sorely tested people are multiplied," he said.

About 80,000 people were killed in the Oct. 8 quake, most of them on the Pakistani side of divided Kashmir. The U.N. Children's Fund (search) warned Sunday that thousands more could die in the region from disease, diarrhea and injuries if survivors do not receive more medical attention, tents and blankets as the harsh Himalayan winter bears down on them.