British Public donates £41 million to DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal

The British public has donated more than £41 million to the DEC Nepal Earthquake appeal helping aid agencies reach more than 310,000 people, including those in remote villages in Gorkha and Sindhupalchok districts.
 
Hundreds of thousands of people – many living in hard-to-reach villages – had their homes damaged or destroyed and are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and medical care following the devastating earthquake which struck on April 25. 
 
Rain, avalanches and the mountainous terrain is making aid deliveries challenging but DEC member agencies are getting vital supplies to people across 15 districts including Sindhupalchok where most deaths have been reported and over 80% of houses are thought to have been destroyed. 
 
DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the British public. The funds mean that despite enormous logistical challenges, aid is getting through to hard-to-reach areas.
 
“Member agencies are working around the clock to get vital aid including food, water and shelter to villages which have been cut off since the devastating quake.
 
“From some of the worst-hit villages in Gorkha such as Deurali and Paulungtar to Helambu and Ichowk in Sindhupalchok, aid is reaching those who need it. But there is still so much more to do and many more people to reach.
 
“Member agencies will be supporting the people of Nepal for the weeks, months and years to come and we urge the British public to do the same and continue to give generously.”
 
An estimated eight million people have been affected by the earthquake which hit west of the capital Kathmandu. The death toll has now increased to more than 7,500, with more than 14,400 people injured, according to the Government of Nepal.
 
Latest updates from DEC member agencies on the ground include: 

  • Action Aid has delivered food such as rice, lentils, salt and oil to 20,000 people in Lalitpur.
  • The British Red Cross has distributed 94,250 oral rehydration sachets. 
  • Tents have been delivered to more than 15,600 people in Dhading, Kavre, Okhaldunga and Nuwakot by CAFOD and its partners in the Caritas network.
  • Care has provided 1800 people in Gorkha with family kits. 
  • Christian Aid has distributed water purification tablets and 10,000 hygiene kits for 50,000 people in Gorkha, Dhading and Sindhupalchok.
  • Islamic Relief distributed food for 2,500 people in Sindhupalchowk district.
  • Oxfam has installed an 11,000-litre tank and distributed 58,000 litres of drinking water in Kathmandu camps providing water to more than 4,400 people. 
  • Plan has distributed more than 1350 tarpaulins for 6780 people in Makwanpur.
  • Save the Children has distributed 198 shelter kits, 400 tarpaulins and 200 baby blankets in Sindhupalchok.
  • Tearfund has reached 2,750 people with food, blankets, sleeping mats and tents in Dhading. 
  • World Vision has provided 2,500 people with tarpaulins for shelter in Sindhuli. 

The vast majority of DEC funds came from individual donations from members of the public but the British government also contributed £5m through UK Aid Match.
 
To make a donation to the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal visit: http://www.dec.org.uk, call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or send a cheque. You can also donate £5 by texting the word SUPPORT to 70000.

  • £25 can provide clean water for four families for one month 
  • £50 can feed a family for two weeks 
  • £100 can provide emergency shelter for five families

Notes to editors:

  • The DEC brings 13 leading UK aid charities together in times of crisis: ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision; all collectively raising money to reach those in need quickly.
  • All DEC agencies will support the appeal and are responding in Nepal.
  • To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC’ and mail to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA’. 
  • Donations can be made at any high street bank and at post office counters. To donate £5 by text, send the word SUPPORT to 70000. The full £5 will go to the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal. Donors must be 16 years or over and have bill payers permission. Texts are free and donations will be added to the bill.
  • Aid delivered by DEC members and their partners has been paid for with DEC funds and money from other sources. Some people will have received different kinds of help from more than one DEC agency. For example it is likely that separate schemes - one providing shelter assistance and another providing food packages - will have reached some of the same people. 
  • According to ECHO (the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department) most of the deaths are in the district of Sindhupalchok (2,911), where over 80% of houses are reported to have been destroyed.

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