The Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal has raised £25m in two weeks, including £5m matched by the UK government.
Government support for DEC's appeal came through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s aid match scheme, which was part of a £16.5m package of support to provide immediate help to people living in the most hard hit areas.
DEC's chief executive Saleh Saeed said he was especially grateful to everyone in the UK who has donated during a period of national mourning following the Queen’s death.
Currently, 11 of the DEC’s 15 charities are working directly or through local partners to help with the appeal.
“This support is already helping people caught up in a really desperate situation due to the unprecedented flooding,” Saeed said.
“This incredible outpouring of support has enabled DEC charities to provide essential aid and to relieve some of the suffering faced by millions of people in Pakistan right now.”
‘We need to do much more’
This comes amid growing fears of renewed flooding as continuing rains threaten to cause more damage in the south Asian country, with around 33 million people thought to be affected.
Saeed added that the scale of this “means we need to do much more” and the DEC is therefore asking those who can afford to help to donate what they can and to encourage others to consider supporting the appeal – “these funds are literally a lifeline for some of the world’s most vulnerable people at a time of dire need.”
The 11 DEC members responding so far are Action Against Hunger, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK and Tearfund.
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