Turkey-Syria earthquake DEC appeal: Daniel Craig fronts donation drive for earthquake victims
Daniel Craig has starred in a TV advert telling the public they “can and must” help after earthquakes claimed more than 20,700 lives in Syria and Turkey.
The former James Bond actor, 54, urged Britons to donate to those “in desperate need of life-saving support” in an advert shown after the ITV evening news.
He lent his support to the Disasters and Emergencies Committee (DEC), which is co-ordinating a joint fundraising appeal by 14 British humanitarian charities, after the earthquakes on Monday.
The actor said: “Millions of the Syrian families affected now had already been forced to flee their homes due to years of brutal conflict there.
“And even for those miraculously saved, what do their futures hold?
“They are in desperate need of life-saving support from around the world. Their own homes are no longer safe.
“The Disasters Emergency Committee charities and local partners are on the ground, but urgently need more resources to respond to a disaster of this incredible scale.”
Actress Tamsin Greig appeared in a similar film shown on the BBC while Sir Michael Palin and the Rev Richard Coles are voicing audio clips to be broadcast on Friday.
The government is matching all donations made by the public to the DEC appeal to a total value of £5 million.
The DEC said it expects humanitarian needs to grow in the coming days, with access to shelter, clean water and warmth all potential issues.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know
For more details on how to donate visit the DEC's donation page here.
More survivors were rescued from beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings on Thursday.
WHO's incident response manager Robert Holden said a lot of people are surviving “out in the open, in worsening and horrific conditions."
"We’ve got major disruptions to basic water supplies, we’ve got major disruption to fuel, electricity supplies, communication supplies, the basics of life,” he said.
“We are in real danger of seeing a secondary disaster which may cause harm to more people than the initial disaster.”
In the Turkish city of Malatya former journalist Ozel Pikal, who took part in the rescue efforts, said he thinks at least some of the victims froze to death as temperatures dipped to minus 6C.
“As of today, there is no hope left in Malatya,” Pikal said by telephone. “No one is coming out alive from the rubble.”
It was one of the biggest news stories of our time - and it's still not over. So what did Boris Johnson know about Downing Street’s notorious parties? With fresh revelations from our Number 10 sources, in their own words, listen to the inside story...