The Isle of Man has doubled its support for an appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in East Africa.
A second donation of ?50,000 has been committed from the Emergency Aid budget to provide further life-saving support to agencies working in South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. This additional funding will bring the Island’s total support for the DEC Appeal to ?100,000.
The DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed commented: ‘On behalf of the DEC and our 13 member charities, please accept my thanks to the Isle of Man Government for your very generous donation.
‘DEC member charities are already on the ground in the four affected countries, working tirelessly to deliver essential life-saving assistance.’
Drought and conflict have left 16 million people on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of food, water and medical treatment. In Kenya, the government has declared a national emergency and Ethiopia is battling a new wave of drought following the strongest ‘El Nino’ on record.
Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: ‘The Isle of Man Government moved quickly to make an initial contribution of ?50,000 to the aid programmes being delivered in countries scarred by conflict and drought. I’m pleased that we have been able to follow this with a further donation of ?50,000, reflecting the severity of the ongoing crisis.’
Anyone wishing to find out more about the situation in East Africa or to make a donation should visit www.dec.org.uk.
