‘We must not look away’: actors Riz Ahmed, Joe Alwyn and Ruth Negga voice urgent call for more donations, as the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal raises over £20 million

The amount raised for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal is now over £20 million. The impressive total is thanks to the generosity of the UK public, DEC corporate partners and longstanding supporters, as well as UK Government Aid Match.  

Riz Ahmed, Joe Alwyn and Ruth Negga have lent their support to the DEC’s Appeal, in a powerful new video launched on the DEC’s website and social media channels. Download the new appeal film here.

The video highlights the extreme levels of humanitarian need facing people across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider Middle East region – with millions having fled their homes in search of safety and many more in urgent need of food, shelter and medical care.

The DEC has already allocated funds to its member charities – including ActionAid, Concern Worldwide UK, Islamic Relief, Oxfam and Save the Children – who are responding right now with lifesaving assistance.  

But the number of people in need of humanitarian aid continues to grow. Together, Joe, Riz and Ruth are urging the UK public to continue to give generously to the Appeal, to enable DEC’s member charities to help many more families, children and communities in desperate need of support.

Joe Alwyn, actor, said:

“For children living in Gaza, daily life has become about survival. Families can no longer promise their children the security of a safe place to sleep or regular meals, and many children have been out of school for months on end. The intense stress and trauma on young people is overwhelming.  

“In the face of such heartbreaking devastation, many of us feel utterly powerless. But your donations to the DEC appeal will make a genuine difference. DEC member charities and their local partners are supporting families across the region right now, and they need our support.”

Riz Ahmed, actor, said: 

“The devastating stories of loss, destruction and suffering from people in Gaza and Lebanon are hard to hear. Thousands of children are now injured, homeless, hungry and even orphaned. And there is little hope of respite.  

“But we must not look away – millions of people are in urgent need of our help. Our donations can help make an immediate difference to people’s lives – providing food, medicine, basic supplies, or a safe place to sleep for them and their families.”

Ruth Negga, actress, said:  

"The level of humanitarian need in communities across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region is horrifying to witness. Millions are struggling without even the most basic necessities and women and girls are particularly vulnerable. There is little access to safe shelter or proper sanitation, and everyday essentials such as women's hygiene products are desperately hard to find. Without access to maternal healthcare, new mums are doing their best to care for newborns in the cruelest conditions.  

“DEC charities are providing a lifeline of support to so many of these women right now, through setting up safe spaces, distributing hygiene kits and providing medical care. They need our help to continue this vital work in the weeks and months ahead."

Just some of the ways that DEC charities are already helping those most urgently in need include:  

• Providing hot meals, dry goods and food parcels with fresh produce, as well as supplies for community kitchens feeding displaced people.  
• Distributing clean drinking water, toilets and hygiene kits to improve sanitation in camps and shelters.  
• Supporting field hospitals and medical clinics in Gaza with equipment and medical staff to treat those with chronic illnesses as well as people with traumatic injuries.  
• Supplying shelter support, such as tents, shade covers and tarpaulins, particularly for those displaced in Gaza to Al Mawasi and Rafah.  
• Offering cash vouchers, so that people can buy the mattresses, blankets, bedding and essential items they need from local markets.
• Providing psychological support and setting up child friendly spaces, to help families manage the traumatic impact of ongoing conflict.

*** Images of DEC member charities’ response can be found here ***

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said:

“I am humbled by the unfailing compassion of so many people who have rallied in support of this appeal to extend their help to the millions of people in need across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region. Funds raised from this appeal are already enabling DEC charities to extend lifesaving humanitarian assistance and help to alleviate suffering across the region. This scale-up of their response would not be possible without the generosity of the British public and so many organisations who are giving their support to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Media enquiries please call 07930 999 014 or 07871 309253 (out of hours).

Interview requests: For spokespeople 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. The DEC’s 15 member charities 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 UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.

All 15 of the DEC’s members are either responding or planning to respond 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, 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 also be used to support people in the West Bank, where the recent escalation in violence has forced many more to flee their homes, and had a devastating economic impact.

In Israel, families of those held hostage desperately await news of their loved ones, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and many more are dealing with trauma caused by the ongoing conflict. We will continue to monitor the situation and needs in Israel. A number of DEC charities are in a position to expand their response to include Israel should the situation change.  

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.  

For the Middle East Humanitarian appeal, donations by the UK public are still being matched pound-for-pound by the UK Government up to £10 million, as part of its Aid Match scheme.

Although the appeal has raised £20 million, Aid Match continues to accrue until donations from the public reach £10 million.

UK Aid Match has increased the impact of a number of DEC appeals to help those in need around the world, including most recently the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal in 2023. In 2024, the UK matched up to £10 million of public donations to DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal.

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