A television appeal for donations to help the aid effort following the devastating Philippines typhoon has raised a “staggering” £1.5million within hours of its launch.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) made the appeal through a short film presented on the BBC by broadcaster Kirsty Young last night.
It said it was overwhelmed by the public donating £1.5m in just 15 hours.
The Government has now offered to match pound for pound the amount pledged by the public up to a total of £5m, on top of £10m it had already made available.
DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed described the UK’s response as “quite staggering”.
"It is clear the British public has been moved by the stories we are hearing from the Philippines - people struggling to survive with no food, water or shelter,” he said.
"The more money we raise, the more our member agencies can do on the ground to help people rebuild their lives."
The Queen is among those to have made a personal donation and expressed her “heartfelt condolences”, Buckingham Palace said.
The DEC is comprised of14 UK aid agencies including Oxfam, British Red Cross, Action Aid and Islamic Relief.
Mr Saeed said relief efforts were being hampered by the crippled infrastructure the storm left in its wake, and there remains a desperate need for food, emergency shelter and water.
The UK’s first flight containing 8,836 aid kits has now landed in the Philippines, the Government said. Each kit includes plastic sheeting, rope and rope tensioners to keep a family of five sheltered from the elements.
They will be delivered to international children's charity World Vision for distribution in the worst-affected areas of the Philippines following the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan.
It is the first of several UK-funded humanitarian flights scheduled to fly from Dubai and the UK in the coming days as part of the UK's response to the disaster, a Department for International Development spokesman said.
They will help deliver forklift trucks, cutting equipment, 4x4s and other kit to help clear and reopen runways and roads.
It will enable the delivery to 300,000 people of life-saving supplies including blankets, water purification tablets, buckets, soap and sanitary items to prevent the spread of disease.
Read More
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "UK humanitarian aid is now on the ground to be distributed urgently to the people who need it.
"It will be followed rapidly by other basics like food and water purification kits, and the equipment needed to clear the way to get that aid to hard-to-reach communities."
