His Majesty The King meets Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) charities at Buckingham Palace

*** Images from the meeting with HM The King available here

His Majesty The King met today with the CEOs of the 15 Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) charities to hear about the shared successes and challenges they are facing as they respond to some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises.    

Also present at today’s meeting at Buckingham Palace were three humanitarian experts who spoke about their own experiences delivering aid to people whose lives have been devastated by conflict and natural disasters.  

They discussed the incredible impact funds given by the UK public continue to have on humanitarian responses around the world, as well as the conditions humanitarian workers are currently operating in and ongoing concerns around climate-related disasters.

The Disasters Emergency Committee launched the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal in October last year, and it has so far raised more than £40 million thanks to the generosity of the UK public, as well as donations from Their Majesties The King and Queen, and The Prince and Princess of Wales. The total also includes £10 million matched by the UK Government. 

DEC charities and their local partners are currently supporting people across Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Syria with vital food, water, medical care, hygiene supplies and mental health support. Over the past weeks they have been working to adapt their responses to reach some of the hundreds of thousands of people who have returned to their communities in the north of Gaza and urgently need lifesaving aid.  

His Majesty The King was also updated on recent DEC appeal responses, including the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal – which raised £445 million and has so far supported more than 8 million people in Ukraine and surrounding countries – and the Turkey Syria Earthquake Appeal, which raised £160 million and is still supporting families whose lives were devastated by the earthquakes in February 2023.  

Today’s conversation also highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where more than 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes since conflict escalated in 2023. Several of the DEC’s member charities are currently responding within Sudan and in surrounding countries. 

Saleh Saeed, the Chief Executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, said:
   
“We welcome The King’s ongoing interest in the work of the DEC member charities responding to some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises. With conflict devastating so many lives in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and many other places around the world, humanitarian workers are enduring extremely challenging conditions as they carry out their lifesaving work. The UK public’s incredible generosity in supporting the DEC’s appeals continues to provide a vital lifeline to people in urgent need.”  
 
Jamil Sawalmeh, Country Director for ActionAid Palestine said:   

"After 15 months of war, people in Gaza have lost everything. Our colleagues and local partner organisations are continuing to provide vital support to people in need, especially women and girls – from distributing food and other essentials like period products, to running maternity services and offering psychosocial support – but the need is huge.”  

Sven Coppens, Ukraine Refugee Crisis Response Director at Plan International, said: 

“This year, a staggering 1 in 3 people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance, including nearly 2 million children. Three years of war have taken a heartbreaking toll on children’s lives and aspirations, inflicting deep emotional scars, severely disrupting their education, and leaving girls and young women at greater risk of gender-based violence. With the support of the DEC, we have been able to provide shelter, non-food items, and protection services for children and adolescents displaced by the war, while our education programmes have benefited nearly one million children and 40,000 teachers. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of UK supporters.”  

Today’s event comes ahead of a humanitarian reception being hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen at Buckingham Palace tomorrow [Thursday 20 February]. The reception will recognise the humanitarian work undertaken by national and international organisations, and Their Majesties’ long-standing support for humanitarian causes.  The Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who support many charitable organisations, will also be in attendance.    

All 15 DEC member charities will be present, including DEC charity aid workers from overseas, aid workers from local partner organisations and volunteers.   

ENDS

Notes to editors  

Media enquiries please call 07930 999 014 or 07890 839 270 (out of hours).   
Interview requests: For spokespeople, pictures and b-roll please contact: sgard@dec.org.uk  

About the DEC: The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities at times of crisis overseas to raise funds quickly and efficiently. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help, and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response.  

All 15 of the DEC’s members are either responding in the Middle East and will receive funds from this appeal. Some may work through trusted local partners.  

They are Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.  

DEC member charities are committed to the principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and independence – it guides all of the lifesaving work we do. As humanitarian aid agencies, we have an obligation to give aid wherever it is needed, prioritising the most urgent needs of the most vulnerable people.  

The majority of funds from this appeal will be spent in Gaza and Lebanon, where millions of people are displaced and desperately need humanitarian support. Some of the funds will be used to support people in Syria, where hundreds of thousands have fled from Lebanon since September, and in the West Bank, where the recent escalation in violence has forced many to flee their homes, and had a devastating economic impact.  

For the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, £10 million of donations from the UK public have now been matched by UK Aid Match.  

Through UK Aid Match the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) gives the British public the opportunity to have a say in how the UK aid budget is spent whilst boosting the impact of the very best British charities to change and save the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.    

UK Aid Match enquiries should be directed to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Please call 020 7023 0600 (24-hour). 

How to donate:   

• Online: dec.org.uk  
• Phone: 0330 123 0333 [Standard network charges apply] Text to give/SMS: for press releases: text SUPPORT to 70676 to donate £10. Other partners should use the specific text keywords they have been provided with by the DEC. [Texts cost £10 plus your standard network rate]  
• Send a cheque by post to: DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA