Charity inundated with donations for Afghan refugees

A Manchester-based charity says it has been inundated with donations for Afghan refugees who are fleeing their Taliban-controlled homeland.

Care4Calais is a volunteer-run charity delivering essential aid and support to refugees in the UK, France and Belgium.

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the charity has started to collect clothes, toiletries and toys.

Volunteers have been working around the clock to sort and process the items to make sure that they go to the people who need them most.

Founder of Care4Calais Clare Moseley say they have been inundated with donations from people across the UK who want to help.

She said: "A beautiful older lady brought in a load of donations, but she didn't just collect them, she washed them, she ironed them and she labelled them all up.

"The response has been unbelievable. We've had vans going backwards and forwards all day from various collection points from around the city."

The charity is accepting clothes, shoes, toiletries and used smart phones, and are also raising money for items which cannot be donated such as underwear.

They have already passed their initial fundraising target of £30,000, but says it will need at least three times that amount to help all the refugees coming into the country.

Clare said: "I am a bit worried the fact that the number of people we need to support keeps going up. We're hearing about new hotels all the time.

"The amazing thing is how the public has responded. I think seeing these absolutely horrific scenes from Afghanistan, I think once people see what the people are going through it really strikes a cord."

Councillor Pat Karney told ITV Granada Reports: "It sounds tripe to say but we're all part of one human global village and we can't turn our back and shun away from the images we see of children crying and desperate people trying to get out of the country."

To donate clothes, shoes, phones or other essentials, click on the pin nearest to you for contact details: care4calais.org/thedropoffmap

To buy the basic essentials such as a clean change of clothes or decent shoes donate here: bit.ly/afghanwelcome