DEC appeal raises £17 million for the East Africa crisis

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal for the crisis in East Africa has raised £17.6 million since it launched on Wednesday, with donations continuing to flood in from the UK public.

Drought and conflict have left 16 million people on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of food, water and medical treatment.

People are already dying in South Sudan and Somalia. In Kenya, the government has declared a national emergency and Ethiopia is battling a new wave of drought following the strongest El Niño on record.

DEC member charities are already providing help to people across the four countries with lifesaving aid, such as food, treatment for malnutrition and cash, but much more needs to be done to reach those in desperate need.

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said:

“It is fantastic that in just two days the DEC East Africa Food Crisis Appeal has reached £17 million. People in the UK have once again risen to the occasion and shown their huge generosity, and for that we are incredibly grateful. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who has supported the appeal.

“This  humanitarian crisis has reached critical levels and we would urge people to continue giving to save lives and reduce suffering. Please don’t delay, donate.”

The £17.6 million funds raised is made up of £12.6 million given by the UK public by text, phone and online, and £5 million from the UK Government through the Aid Match Fund.

What your money could buy:

·         £25 could provide a month’s supply of life-saving peanut paste to a malnourished child

·         £60 could provide clean drinking water for two families for a month

·         £100 could provide supplies to a clinic treating severely malnourished children for a week.

To make a donation to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal visit: www.dec.org.uk, call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 610, donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or send a cheque. You can also donate £5 by texting the word SUPPORT to 70000.

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 Notes to editors:

• Media enquiries please call 020 7387 0200 or 07930 999 014 (out of hours).
• The DEC brings 13 leading UK aid charities together in times of crisis: ActionAid, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan International UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision; all collectively raising money to reach those in need quickly.
• Matt Baker, Brenda Blethyn, Tamsin Greig, Bill Nighy and Eddie Redmayne have backed the DEC’s East Africa Crisis Appeal by recording calls for support from the public.
• The UK Government has matched pound for pound the first £5 million donated by the public to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal through its Aid Match Fund.
• Donations can be made at any high street bank and at Post Office counters. To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC’ and mail to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA’. 
• To donate £5 by text send the word SUPPORT to 70000. The full £5 will go to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal. Donors must be 16 years or over and have bill payers’ permission. Texts are free and donations will be added to the bill.