JOHN Swinney has announced the Scottish Government will make a £250,000 emergency donation to the relief effort in the Middle East.
A fundraising appeal is being launched in Scotland to help people in the Middle East whose lives are being destroyed by conflict.
Aid workers say millions of people who have fled their homes in search of safety across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and medical care.
In response, the Disasters Emergency Committee in Scotland (DEC) is launching a Middle East Humanitarian Appeal – inviting donations from the public to provide aid to those displaced.
DEC member charities say the scale of need in Gaza is currently “overwhelming”, with people already dying of hunger and disease and supplies of food and clean water said to be “desperately scarce”.
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In Lebanon, it is believed more than a million people have had to leave their homes in recent weeks, with shelters overwhelmed and hospitals struggling to treat the thousands of injured.
Water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure has also been damaged in the West Bank by the ongoing violence and more families have been forced to leave their homes.
On Thursday, the First Minister said his government would be making a £250,000 donation to the relief effort.
Some £200,000 of the cash will form a fund shared between DEC’s 15 member organisations helping to provide food, water, medical assistance and shelter to displaced people in the region.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund and Mercy Corps will also each receive £25,000.
“The humanitarian crisis in the Middle East continues to deepen and spread, and an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of conflict is needed to prevent more innocent lives being lost and bring an end to the unimaginable suffering this conflict has caused.
“Urgent humanitarian aid must be provided to all those who need it, and this contribution from the Scottish Government will assist the Disasters Emergency Committee, SCIAF and Mercy Corps in ensuring it reaches as many people as possible.
“Members of the public can also pledge support and make donations to the DEC Appeal in a variety of ways and I would urge everyone to consider donating if they are in a position to do so.”
The UK Government is supporting the DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal by matching the first £10 million of donations from the British public.
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Anneliese Dodds, Minister of State for Development, said: “The suffering of civilians impacted by the conflict across the Middle East is intolerable. Humanitarian support is urgently needed for the most vulnerable people.
“Charities play a crucial role in providing help to those most affected and need your support. That is why we are matching public donations to the DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to provide urgent humanitarian assistance up to £10 million.
“This will be used to provide life-saving aid including medical supplies, shelter and clean water to those who need it most.”
Rob Murray, of the British Red Cross, said: “Over the past year, conflict in the Middle East has devastated lives across the region, and millions have fled their homes in search of safety.
“DEC member charities are responding right now, providing lifesaving food, water, shelter, medicine and so much more. We’re asking people across Scotland to donate, no matter the amount, to this appeal to help provide essential humanitarian aid.”
Donations can be made at www.dec.org.uk/ or by calling 0330 123 0333 or text HOPE to 70676 to donate £10.
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