(photo courtesy of http://www.alertnet.org)

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) announced today (Friday) that online donations to the Haiti earthquake appeal hit £2 million in 36 hours.

The sums were raised before the first radio and television appeals by the DEC and mark an unprecedented response to DEC online fundraising.

Early support

The DEC appeal was made public with a message on Twitter that has spread through social networks and been helped by high-profile endorsements including from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The Queen has also given privately to the DEC appeal.

DEC Chief Executive Brendan Gormley said:

“We are delighted at the generosity of the British people even before our major television and radio appeals hit the airwaves.

“Efforts on the ground have been hampered by a lack of power and communications problems after the devastating quake but aid is starting to get through and DEC members are working hard in the field.

“Our message to the public is: thank you for your efforts so far but it is vitally important that people continue to donate to increase the amount of aid that can be delivered to help the millions of people affected by this terrible earthquake.”

The DEC appeal was made public at 7.41pm on January 13, the day after the earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale levelled large parts of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The total raised online by 8am today (Friday) stood at around £2 million. Donations by other methods are not included in this figure.

Many DEC members already had a presence in Haiti before the earthquake struck. The agencies have responded, supporting search and rescue, providing medical care, food, clean water, temporary shelter and clothes but we need much more money.

What your money will buy

Examples of what donations will go to include:   

• £25 will supply a kit of household essentials
• £50 buys a food pack to feed a family for a fortnight
• £100 provides temporary shelter for two families.

To make a donation to the DEC Haiti appeal visit www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 900.      

The DEC consists of: ActionAid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund, World Vision.