Disasters Emergency Committee

Here are a few ways donations to the DEC #MiddleEastAppeal are helping over the Christmas period: In the Deir al Balah and Khan Younis areas of Gaza families are receiving cash to help with the spiralling cost of essentials through Oxfam GB and its local partners, who are also providing psychosocial support for women dealing with ongoing trauma. Vital medical care and medicine is reaching some of the many sick and injured people in Gaza through British Red Cross and their partners. 5,000 litres of clean water are distributed every two days to people living in camps in Gaza by Concern Worldwide UK and their local partners, who are also providing hygiene supplies and building sanitation facilities for thousands of people. In Lebanon, World Vision UK and their local partners are running activities in child-friendly spaces so displaced children have a place to learn, play and receive trauma support. DEC charities and their local partners are working in incredibly difficult conditions but donations are making a difference.

“With help from funds donated by the UK public, we will be scaling up healthcare to mothers and their babies, and have already delivered cash assistance to families who find themselves stranded and with little money to support their children,” - Rachael Cummings, aid worker, Gaza. https://lnkd.in/ehBcfYg9

"We are working under fire and bombardment, and are doing everything we can to save lives, and we’ll continue to do so over the Christmas period." Rachael Cummings from Save the Children UK lives in London but is in #Gaza right now where the cold weather and rain are worsening conditions for 1.9 million displaced people. “So far, we’ve been able to deliver emergency food assistance, clean water and sanitation, and thousands of blankets, mattresses and essential supplies to families forced to live in tents. "With help from funds donated by the UK public, we will be scaling up healthcare to mothers and their babies, and have already delivered cash assistance to families who find themselves stranded and with little money to support their children,” she says. Even in incredibly tough conditions, DEC charities and their local partners have been able to reach vulnerable families with support, and will be able to do more thanks to donations from the UK public.

This Boxing Day marks 20 years since a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of northern Sumatra, triggering a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean that devastated millions of lives and thousands of miles of coastline. The images broadcast shocked the world, and the earthquake and tsunami were described as the worst natural disaster in modern times. The incredible outpouring of generosity led to the DEC's appeal raising an extraordinary £392 million in total, which adjusted for inflation, would be the DEC’s biggest appeal in its 60-year history, worth around £690 million today. This crisis and the response that followed transformed the humanitarian sector. It highlighted a need for stronger and more co-ordinated disaster preparedness, well-built infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters, and a focus on putting affected communities at the heart of all disaster recovery. Madara Hettiarachchi, working today as the DEC’s Director of Programmes and Accountability, was working with DEC charity World Vision in 2014 and was in Sri Lanka visiting family when the tsunami hit. Following the disaster, she became part of World Vision’s response team in the country. “It’s hard to describe what we saw. The scale of destruction, the lives turned upside down and the stories we heard from survivors were absolutely harrowing. That experience shaped my understanding of what humanitarian response really means. The lessons we learned still guide my work today, " says Madara. "Over the past 20 years, the humanitarian sector has come a long way. Communities are no longer just passive recipients of aid, they’re active participants, helping shape how responses are designed and delivered. Back in the early 2000s, accountability often meant reporting to donors, not the people we were helping. Today, most organisations have dedicated staff focused on ensuring that affected communities can give feedback and stay informed, so they can play a greater role in the recovery process. The DEC has played a big role in this evolution, and the lessons of the past 20 years have shown us how far we’ve come in making humanitarian aid more accountable, flexible, and community centred.” Learn more about the lasting impact of this historic appeal: https://lnkd.in/eee8YRgd

Thank you to our partners Big Give for supporting the DEC #MiddleEastAppeal. Donations received here before Tuesday 10th December are being doubled: https://lnkd.in/e9mCQtka

Thank you to Myleene Klass for her incredible ongoing support of the DEC. Myleene, who is an ambassador for DEC member charity Save The Children, recorded the launch appeal film for the DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, alongside David Morrissey and Adjoa Andoh. The film was broadcast across commercial television on October 17. Here Myleene, pictured with DEC CEO Saleh Saeed, joined DEC staff, volunteers and aid workers to meet His Majesty The King at a special event earlier this week to thank all those involved in the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal for their efforts. Due to the enormous generosity of the UK public, the appeal has raised an incredible £35 million so far, but more help is still needed. Find out more: https://www.dec.org.uk/

Today, His Majesty The King met with volunteers and aid workers to thank some of those involved in the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal. Thanks to the generosity of the UK public, £35 million has been raised so far. Find out more on our website: https://www.dec.org.uk

Today, we're joining Giving Tuesday UK to celebrating the amazing efforts of people around the UK who have donated and raised money for the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal and to highlight the many ways you can give. From organising bake sales to fundraising on social media, your support is helping DEC charities provide food, water, shelter and other urgent aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region. Read more about Giving Tuesday: https://lnkd.in/e-iXv5sj

This #GivingTuesday we’re celebrating the amazing efforts of people around the UK who donated and raised money for the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal. From organising bake sales to fundraising on social media, the support of people across the UK is helping DEC charities provide food, water, shelter and other urgent aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e_vjDTAy

This #GivingTuesday, we’re delighted to announce the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal has raised an incredible £35 million, including £10 million #UKAidMatch. Thanks to your donations, DEC charities are providing lifesaving aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region. The needs are overwhelming, more funds are urgently needed, but your donations are making a difference. Read more about our inspiring fundraisers here: https://lnkd.in/e_vjDTAy