£2m given to Darfur emergency fund

12 April 2012

More than £2 million has already been raised by an emergency appeal to help those suffering in Darfur and Chad, fundraisers said.

The appeal, co-ordinated by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), has seen donations flood in since a televised launch on Thursday.

More than 4.5 million people have been affected by the ongoing conflict which has spread from Darfur to Chad and on to the Central African Republic.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been living in makeshift camps for up to four years and their tattered shelters are unlikely to withstand another change in season.

Rains due to arrive in the next four weeks are expected to bring a sharp increase in illness and diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea.

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley said he was "moved" by the "outpouring of generosity" from the public since the launch.

He said: "DEC agencies are doing all we can to respond to real human suffering on the ground right now and need to scale up our response before the rains arrive.

"Please continue giving generously so we can save more lives."

Fame Academy presenter Claudia Winkleman, who answered phones at the BT Tower in London as the appeal was launched, said: "The appeal is off to a fantastic start, raising £2 million on the first night.

"The British public have already shown great compassion for those affected by this crisis and have responded with tremendous generosity."

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