DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal reaches a staggering £50 million in just 3 weeks

Press release 5 April 2017

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) today announced that its appeal for the East Africa Food Crisis has now raised a total of £50 million, to help the 16 million people in South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia who are on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of help. 

Despite some of the challenging conditions in these countries; access constraints due to conflict in South Sudan and Al-Shabab controlled areas in Somalia, the scale of the disaster and the remote areas where people are living, more aid is now getting through. The DEC is made up of 13 of the UK’s leading charities who are already working in these countries. 

They are now scaling up and continuing to deliver life-saving assistance across the four countries. There is a particular focus on where the needs are greatest in South Sudan and Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland and in close co-ordination with national organisations and other humanitarian partners. 

DEC CEO Saleh Saeed says, “Thanks to the bravery and resilience of both local aid workers and community volunteers, life-saving food aid, medical assistance and vital water supplies are reaching the people who need it most. 

“We have reports about aid delivery making an immediate difference to the lives of affected communities; for example Concern Worldwide is supporting children at the Weydow nutrition centre just outside Mogadishu in Somalia; Save the Children is supplying food, water and medical care to 40 of the most drought affected communities in Ethiopia and Somalia; Oxfam is providing water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of people in Kenya and British Red Cross has delivered emergency food supplies to thousands of people in South Sudan. 

“We are so incredibly grateful to all who have supported the appeal for their kindness and for their generosity to people who are thousands of miles away. Sadly, this crisis is worsening and we must do more. If you haven’t donated yet, please don’t delay donate today.”
 
The appeal was launched by well-known figures including Bill Nighy, Sir Mo Farrah, Eddie Redmayne and Brenda Blethyn and Matt Baker on 15 March and generous support has been received from the British public, corporations, trusts, schools and community and faith groups. The UK Government has matched pound for pound £10 million donated by the public to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal through its 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 donate £5 by text send the word SUPPORT to 70000. Or visit dec.org.uk

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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.
  • Keira Knightley 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 £10 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.