UK CHARITIES LAUNCH MAJOR APPEAL AS 8 MILLION AFGHANS COULD STARVE TO DEATH

Wed 15 December 2021:

On Wednesday, the UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) will launch a nationwide televised appeal to raise funds for 1 million Afghan children who are “at risk of dying” this winter, while the government has pledged to match the first 10 million Pounds ($13.2 million) in public donations.

“Afghanistan is heading for catastrophe this winter. Children are dying today, and a million more under the age of five are at risk of dying over the next three months,” the organization bringing together 15 UK leading charities including Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee UK, the British Red Cross, Save the Children and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development said in a statement.

“The British people have shown incredible generosity and the UK is determined to do all we can for the people of Afghanistan. We have doubled our aid this year to save lives, protect women and girls and support stability in the region,” UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss said in a statement.

The joint Afghanistan Crisis Appeal will be launched following news on the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Following the announcement, the government stated that it will match the first ten million pounds in public donations to the appeal “pound for pound.”

The funds will be used to assist DEC charities and their local partners in Afghanistan in providing emergency food and nutrition support for children, supporting healthcare facilities, providing winter kits to assist displaced families in staying warm, providing clean drinking water, and protecting women and girls.

According to the UK aid agency, more than 8 million Afghans are on the verge of famine as a result of years of conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the worst drought in 27 years, which has resulted in “catastrophic hunger.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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