The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, aiming to raise money for people displaced by the conflict. More than a million refugees have reportedly fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion last week.
With the war in Ukraine still raging and civilian casualties mounting, the DEC is appealing to Britons to give what they can so that more humanitarian aid can be provided to Ukrainians in need. The government has committed to match donations up to £20 million.
According to the United Nations, the exodus of refugees from Ukraine looks set to be the biggest refugee crisis of the 21st century so far. But what is the Disasters Emergency Committee, where is its money coming from, and what will it do with it?
What is the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)?
The Disasters Emergency Committee, or DEC, is an umbrella group of 15 British charities. It organises and coordinates emergency humanitarian appeals to provide rapid relief and assistance for people affected by conflicts, crises and disasters around the world.
Member charities of the DEC include the British Red Cross, Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee, ActionAid, Save the Children, Christian Aid and Islamic Relief. The DEC is a registered charity in its own right.
Its first appeal was mounted in response to an earthquake in Turkey in 1966, and since then it has organised numerous other appeals in different parts of the globe. Previous DEC appeals include the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
DEC appeals are usually granted airtime by BBC and ITV. However, one notable exception to this was its 2009 appeal for Palestinian victims of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which the BBC refused to broadcast. Channel 4 and ITV both aired the appeal, however.
Since the DEC was first founded in 1963, its appeals have raised more than £1.4 billion in total. In addition to its Ukraine appeal, the DEC is currently raising money for victims of the ongoing famine in Afghanistan - for whom more than £30 million has so far been raised.
Where is the DEC’s money coming from?
The DEC raises money by staging humanitarian appeals in response to particular crises. It mounts fundraising appeals in response to wars, natural disasters and other crises.
It accepts donations from ordinary individuals as well as governments and other organisations. The UK government has pledged to match donations to the DEC’s Ukraine appeal up to £20 million, while the Queen has also made a donation.
What is the DEC doing with the money? How much is spent on admin or salaries?
Money raised by the Disasters Emergency Committee funds work by the organisation’s 15 member charities. Aid funded by DEC appeals is provided directly by these charities or their partner organisations.
The organisation has said that £30 could provide essential hygiene supplies for three people for one month, £50 could provide blankets for four families and £100 could provide emergency food for two families for one month.
The DEC itself spends less than 10% on fundraising and running costs (7.3% on average over the past five years) and all charity partners are committed to using no more than 7% of the funds they receive on any work within the UK to support their response to a disaster. All of the remaining 97% of funds must be spent on the emergency response itself and helping survivors rebuild their lives.
Current work from member charities includes:
- Age International working inside Ukraine with local partners aiming to reach 400,000 older people, providing emergency food and water kits, medical, hygiene and dignity kits.
- Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers are providing first aid, warm clothes, and support in shelters and metro stations. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is working to restore water supplies, provide support to medical facilities, and provide food and shelter to those affected by the fighting. In neighbouring countries, the Red Cross is helping those fleeing Ukraine.
- CARE International working with a local partner in Ukraine to distribute urgently needed emergency supplies such as food, water, hygiene kits and cash to cover daily needs.
- CAFOD through its international partner Caritas has set up 19 centres across Ukraine where they are running warm and safe ‘collective centres’ with beds, food, washing facilities and safe spaces for children where they can play sports and do crafts to help cope with their experiences. The charity is also providing transport, up-to-date information and psychosocial support.
- Save the Children is working in neighbouring countries to help provide children and families who have fled Ukraine with food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, cash assistance.
- World Vision is working through partners in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to help provide fleeing children and families with hygiene kits, protection and psychosocial support including child-friendly spaces.
How much is the DEC aiming to raise for Ukraine?
The Disasters Emergency Committee has not announced a specific target for its Ukraine appeal, but it has already raised tens of millions of pounds. Within a day of the DEC’s Ukraine appeal going live, it had raised £55 million.
A separate Ukraine appeal has been launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with a target of $57.5 million (£43.2 million). The WHO is raising money to fund urgent healthcare to those affected by the war in Ukraine as well as refugees displaced by it.
How to donate to the DEC’s Ukraine appeal
You can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal by visiting its website and choosing how much money you wish to donate.
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