British aid agencies launch Gaza appeal

British aid agencies launch an emergency appeal for people affected by the conflict in Gaza, with the BBC agreeing to show advertisements calling for donations — five years after it refused to participate in a similar drive.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which brings together 13 leading British charities at times of crisis, says half a million people in Gaza have been forced from their homes, and that up to 1.5 million have limited access to water, sanitation or medical care.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed says Gaza is “on the edge” and the humanitarian emergency is affecting virtually every resident.

He adds: “Many people are living in terribly overcrowded UN shelters, but they still need food and basic household items, which we take for granted. Many are in urgent need of medical care, but hospital supplies are almost finished.

“Even before the conflict began, the people of Gaza were close to breaking point. Now we are seeing a humanitarian emergency affecting virtually every man, woman and child in Gaza.”

The British government announces it will match public donations up to the first £2 million ($3.4 million, 2.5 million euros).

“For people wanting to help civilians in Gaza caught up in this crisis, giving now means that every pound they donate will buy twice as many food parcels, provide twice as many blankets and help twice as many people to get through this crisis,” international development secretary Justine Greening says.

Eleven of the 13 DEC agencies are working in Gaza, or planning to work there, and on Friday the charities announce efforts would be ramped up to take advantage of a three-day ceasefire.

Oxfam is delivering water to 175,000 people a day, the British Red Cross reaches 3,900 injured people, and Islamic Relief is helping 125,000 people with water, sanitation, food and child welfare, DEC says.

The publicly funded BBC said then it wanted to avoid compromising public confidence in its impartiality.

The BBC says it had taken “three issues” into consideration after being asked to broadcast the current appeal — the scale of the crisis, the ability of the agencies to provide assistance and the likelihood that a public appeal would be successful.

It adds in a statement: “The humanitarian need in Gaza has been widely acknowledged, including by the Israeli government, and the DEC has given assurances that aid can reach those who need it.”

— AFP