East Africa drought: DEC appeal raises £9m

The UK charity appeal to help people affected by severe drought in the Horn of Africa has so far raised £9m.

A group of UK aid agencies launched the fund-raising appeal with a series of TV and radio broadcasts on Friday.
Thousands of families in desperate need of food and water have trekked for days from Somalia to the Dadaab refugee camp in eastern Kenya.
The drought is the worst in East Africa for 60 years. The UN described it as a "humanitarian emergency".
Brendan Gormley, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, said the British public had been "remarkably generous, despite many having to tighten their belts".
But he added that vulnerable people were dying and millions were at risk.
"We need to act fast to prevent more lives being lost," he said.

Disasters Emergency Committee

• DEC is an umbrella organisation representing a number of aid agencies
• Participants in the appeal include ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision
• To make a donation call 0370 60 60 900 (charged at national rate) or post a donation to PO Box 999 London EC3A 3AA

Comedian Lenny Henry fronted the BBC TV appeal while broadcaster Kate Adie voiced a radio version. Within 24 hours the total raised passed the £6m mark.

The British public donated more than £1m to individual charities even before the DEC appeal was launched. Save the Children had received £560,000, Oxfam £277,000 and the Red Cross £150,000.
Thousands of destitute people were on the move into Kenya and Ethiopia, Mr Gormley said.
More than 1,400 people a day were arriving in the Dadaab camp, already thought to be the world's largest with a population of 350,000. A similar number are crossing into Ethiopia.
Many of those reaching the camps are severely malnourished children, some of whom have died soon after arriving.

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