British Public donates £33 million helping DEC reach 87,000 people in first week

One week on from the Nepal earthquake that left hundreds of thousands homeless, DEC agencies on the ground have already reached almost 87,000 people with aid. Thirteen of the UK’s leading humanitarian organisations have been working around the clock to respond to the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in 81 years. 
 
The UK public has donated an extraordinary £33 million to the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal, including £5 million from the government through UK Aid Match.
 
Despite huge logistical challenges, emergency teams have reached survivors with first aid, water purification tablets, food and hygiene kits. Mattresses, blankets and tarpaulins have been distributed to families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. 
 
In temporary camps in the capital and villages near the epicentre of the quake, relief teams have built large water tanks and provided clean drinking water and essential sanitation, such as latrines. One member has established three child friendly spaces so that children have a safe place to play following the trauma of the quake.
 
DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “We are still facing immense challenges in getting aid through and our members’ teams are going to incredible lengths to provide essential aid.  One of our agencies has set up a medical tent but the area has no electricity so they can only operate in daylight. Other agencies are using tractors to reach remote areas where the roads have been damaged or cut off by landslides. 
 
“Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the British public, our teams have been able to reach a large number of people in just a few days but there is so much more to do. There are still remote areas entirely cut off from help and with monsoon rains due next month, we urgently need to get essential aid to people in the coming weeks.”
 
Member agencies, fighting hard to scale up their response, are already reading tens of thousands. The amount delivered increases every day – highlights so far include:  

• Food for 49,300 people 
• 199,000 water purification tablets
• Hundreds of thousands of litres of clean drinking water
• 22,536 oral rehydration sachets
• 19,166 tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses
• Hygiene kits for 34,350 people
• 12,420 bars of soap
• 85 latrines
• 180 baby kits
• Nutritional food for 80 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers
• 760 burial kits and body bags. 

To make a donation to the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal visit: http://www.dec.org.uk, call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, 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.

• £25 can provide clean water for four families for one month 
• £50 can feed a family for two weeks 
• £100 can provide emergency shelter for five families

Notes to editors:

• The DEC brings 13 leading UK aid charities together in times of crisis: ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision; all collectively raising money to reach those in need quickly.
• All DEC agencies will support the appeal and are responding in Nepal.
• To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC’ and mail to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA’.  
• Donations can be made at any high street bank and at post office counters. To donate £5 by text, send the word SUPPORT to 70000.  The full £5 will go to the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal. Donors must be 16 years or over and have bill payers permission. Texts are free and donations will be added to the bill.
• Aid delivered by DEC members and their partners has been paid for with DEC funds and money from other sources.  Some people will have received different kinds of help from more than one DEC agency. For example it is likely that separate schemes - one providing shelter assistance and another providing  food packages - will have reached some of the same people.