ActionAid hopes to raise £1.1m through its Ready for Anything campaign which launches today with a pound-for-pound match funding promise from the UK government.

The campaign will support disaster preparation programmes throughout the world, seeking to mitigate the effects of emergencies which are "becoming more frequent and growing in intensity", the charity advises. By 2015, it says, 375 million people are expected to have been affected by natural disasters.

Every £1 donated between 4 February and 3 May will be matched by the Department for International Development, and a number of events, including ActionAid's annual gala Call My Wine Bluff in London on 18 April, will raise funds for the campaign. For every £15 donated £33.75 will be raised, including gift aid.

Direct mail, email and media advertising will also help raise awareness.

Erin Lawson, Ready for Anything project manager said: "The Ready for Anything campaign exists to enable the world’s poorest people to survive disasters.
 
"The world’s poorest people are often those who are most affected by natural disasters. And whilst we can’t stop disasters from happening, we can help people to survive them. We do this by working in partnership with vulnerable people so they can prepare and protect themselves."