British public respond with typical generosity

Latest accounts filed by the Disasters Emergency Committee  show that it had an income of £33.1m compared with £9.9m in 2019/20 – a tripling of revenue.

The charity, which unites 14 UK-based international aid charities in response to major humanitarian crises, handled a lower than usual number of appeals in 2019/20.

The DEC said the coronavirus appeal was the first in its 57-year history that had been launched in response to an emergency that was taking place both overseas and in the UK at the same time. It was also the first appeal it had been forced to run remotely.

“Despite the many challenges, our appeal has nonetheless been a success,” the report says.

“Even at such an uncertain time, the British public have responded with typical generosity. By the end of March 2021, the appeal had raised £39m, £31m of which had come directly to the DEC, including £10m matched by the UK government.”

The appeal to support people affected by the 2004 Asian tsunami, which raised £392m, remains the largest DEC appeal by a wide margin.