The Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal has raised £16mn in five days, after reaching £13.5 million after its first two. This includes £5 million in match funding through the Government’s Aid Match scheme.
The DEC launched the appeal on 1 September to help some of the 33 million people affected by the floods in Pakistan, which see a third of the country under water. Appeal films presented on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky by activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and on the BBC by actor, writer and broadcaster Adil Ray aired after the evening news, prompting tens of thousands of donations.
DEC Director of Programmes & Accountability Madara Hettiarachchi said:
“The floods are continuing to rage across Pakistan with hospitals having been badly damaged and access to healthcare becoming increasingly limited. People are struggling to get access to food and medical supplies, and there is a high risk of disease outbreaks. We are fearful of what is to come, and in the next few days we must do all we can to reach the most isolated communities that have been cut off. We are asking the public to be as generous as they can to get help to as many people as possible.”
Eleven of the DEC’s member charities are responding to the disaster, working to provide food, clean water and emergency shelter as well as healthcare, essential hygiene supplies and sanitation.
Jennifer Ankrom-Khan, Country Director for Action Against Hunger in Pakistan said:
“The situation is shocking and the figures are far worse than are even being reported in the media right now. Rivers are still flowing and particularly in Sindh, the majority of the province is underwater. With no income, no one is able to feed themselves. Crops and food stores have been destroyed, electricity and communication is down.
