Disaster appeal raises more than £100m for Turkey and Syria earthquake victims
More than £100 million has been raised by the people of the UK for victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria just over two weeks after the tremor struck.
On Thursday, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a non-government organisation bringing together 15 UK charities, said that donations had reached £101.5 million.
Funds rasied by the appeal are being used to provide emergency support for victims, including food, water, shelter and warm clothing.
The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude quake has killed more than 47,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of families homeless.
Saleh Saeed, Chief Executive of the DEC, said: "The UK public have once again excelled and supported people when they need it most. All of us at the DEC are incredibly grateful.
"With a third earthquake, people are terrified all over again. They are scared of being in their own homes if they remain standing, and are worried about being unable to provide for their families with no job to go to.
"Your donations are already helping and will continue to provide emergency shelter, warm blankets and food for the families who have lost their homes, urgent medical support for the injured and psychosocial support to children to help them start to cope with their experiences."
The DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal was launched earlier this month by actors Daniel Craig and Tamsin Greig.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...
Mr Craig said it was "incredibly moving to see" the level of support being sent to Turkey and Syria by the British people.
"Hospitals, schools and businesses have been reduced to rubble, and hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless in freezing winter conditions. Please do what you can to help them by supporting the DEC appeal," he added.
On Monday, the two countries were rocked by a further 6.4 magnitude earthquake, killing at least eight people.
The latest tremor was felt in Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt, and was quickly followed by a smaller magnitude 5.8 quake.