Leading UK aid agencies, including some Start Network members, will launch a joint fundraising appeal on Thursday 21 March 2019 to help people suffering in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai which has swept through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe leaving behind a trail of destruction, killing hundreds of people and affecting an estimated 2.6 million people.
Houses, roads and bridges have been ripped apart and agricultural land is completely submerged. More than 480 people are confirmed dead and 400,000 have lost their homes.
The full scale of the disaster is still unfolding as search and rescue operations continue and more heavy rain is predicted. The UN predicts that this may become one of the worst weather-related disasters on record in the southern hemisphere.
The Disasters Ememrgency Committee (DEC) brings toegther an alliance of the UK's leading aid agencies and broadcasters to maximise fundraising and quickly deliver effective emergency relief. The DEC brings together many Start Network members as well as other agencies. DEC is formed of 14 major UK aid agencies: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.
Start Network members form the DEC and are working closely with national partners to support the relief effort, delivering emergency shelter kits, food such as pulses and maize flour, water purification tablets and urgent health assistance.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky will be broadcasting appeals today in support of DEC fundraising.
Every pound donated by the UK public will be matched by the UK government through its Aid Match scheme up to the value of £2 million. This new support will double the impact of the public’s own donations and will ensure that charities working on the ground can reach the men, women and children who have been left homeless and are in urgent need of food, water and temporary shelter.
Read more about the work of the DEC.
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