Middle East charity appeal hits £20m as stars urge people to continue donating

More than £20 million has been raised to help people affected by the conflict in the Middle East as actors urged people to continue to donate.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a group of UK charities, launched its appeal to support people suffering in Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region earlier this month.

It has received donations from the King and Queen and now actors Riz Ahmed, Ruth Negga and Joe Alwyn have starred in a video urging more people to lend their support.

Millions of people in the Middle East have fled their homes and are in need of food, shelter and medical care, the DEC said.

Ahmed, who won an Oscar in 2022 for short film The Long Goodbye about the experiences of Asians in the UK, 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.”

The DEC, which was set up in 1963, has already allocated funds to its member charities – including Action Aid, Oxfam and Save the Children.

The video shows the impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East with footage of women carrying their children as they flee danger.

Negga said the level of humanitarian need in the Middle East is “horrifying to witness”.

She added: “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 cruellest conditions.”

Donations by people living in the UK are being matched by the Government up to £10 million, the DEC said.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said he was “humbled” by the “unfailing compassion” of donors.

He said: “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.”