Prince of Wales supports DEC Syria Crisis Appeal with donation

The Prince of Wales has supported the DEC’s Syria Crisis Appeal with a generous donation. The appeal’s donations have now reached £5.3 million, and the 14 leading UK charities that are the DEC’s members will use the funds in Syria and the neighbouring countries, to which over one million refugees have fled. 

The Prince’s donation, along with money from all our other generous donors since the first appeals were broadcast on Thursday, will enable the DEC members to provide more vital aid such as food, clean water, emergency shelter and medical care.  
 
A Clarence House spokesperson said:
 
"Earlier this month,The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall learned first hand about the plight of Syrian refugees when they visited the King Abdullah Park refugee camp in Jordan. During their visit they heard directly from some of the refugees about the terrible situation in their country, and they were especially moved when told of the traumatic experiences so many children had been through before and during their flight from the conflict in Syria."
 
DEC Chief Executive, Saleh Saeed, said:
 
“We are delighted that The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall want to help the DEC Appeal to support the response to the catastrophic situation in Syria and on its borders, and we would encourage the British public to continue to do the same. Thousands of Syrians are pouring over the borders every day to host communities and camps which are already overcrowded, others are enduring terrible conditions within makeshift camps inside Syria. 
 
“Delivering aid there is very difficult - but not impossible, with the experience and expertise of our member agencies.”
 
As the fighting intensifies, the number of people fleeing their homes and the country continues to increase. There are huge and urgent unmet needs, both in Syria and the surrounding countries, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.
 
The DEC Syria Crisis Appeal was launched on Thursday, 21 March with appeals from actor Rufus Sewell as well as actor, writer, comedian and broadcaster Michael Palin, journalist John McCarthy and actress Juliet Stephenson.
 
More than three million people have been forced to leave their homes by fighting in Syria. Two million have fled to other parts of the conflict-torn country. A further one million have escaped across the border to seek safety in neighbouring countries.
  
The number of refugees fleeing the country has increased from 1,000 a day at the beginning of the year to more than 8,000 a day.
  
The DEC tries not to compare either disasters or the appeals we run for them.
 
To make a donation to the DEC Syria Crisis 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.
 
Stay up to date with developments in Syria, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts with the DEC on twitter:http://twitter.com/decappeal or on Facebook via http://www.facebook.com/DisastersEmergencyCommittee. 
 
END