The Disasters Emergency Committee is an umbrella group comprised of thirteen UK charities. These charities are all associated with disaster related issues such as providing clean water, humanitarian aid and medical care. A charitable organization (also known as a charity) is a trust, company or unincorporated association established for charitable purposes only. ... Humanitarian aid arriving by plane at Rinas Airport in Albania in the summer of 1999. ...

The DEC was created in 1963. It brings together a unique alliance of the UK's aid, corporate, public and broadcasting sectors to rally the nation's compassion, and ensure that funds raised go to DEC agencies best placed to deliver effective and timely relief to people most in need.

In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the committee provided 3000 telephone lines for people to give donations and ran television campaigns in order to obtain donations. It was instrumental in coordinating the efforts of the member charities so that all the areas affected received aid and that there was no overlap in the services provided in any one area. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake,[1] was a great undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004 with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. ...

Member charities

• ActionAid
• CAFOD
• CARE International
• Christian Aid
• Concern
• Help the Aged
• Islamic Relief
• Merlin
• Oxfam
• Red Cross
• Save the Children
• Tearfund
• World Vision

ActionAid was founded in 1972 as a child sponsorship charity when 88 UK supporters sponsored 88 children in India and Kenya, the focus primarily being to provide children with an education. ... The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a United Kingdom-based international aid agency working to alleviate poverty and suffering in developing countries. ... CARE (the full form Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere is almost never used) is one of the largest private international humanitarian organizations in the world, with programmes in over 72 countries. ... Activists from Christian Aid lobbying for Trade Justice Christian Aid promotion to buy goats to assist children of Rwanda Christian Aid is an agency of the major Christian churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ... Concern (or Concern Worldwide), is a charitable organisation focused on providing emergency humanitarian aid and development aid to combat extreme poverty primarily in developing countries. ... Established in 1961, Help the Aged is a United Kingdom based, international charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect. ... Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international relief and development organization, dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the worlds poorest people. ... Merlin (an acronym for Medical Emergency Relief, International) is the only specialist UK charity which responds worldwide with vital health care and medical relief for vulnerable people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, disease and health system collapse. ... Oxfam International is an international confederation of 13 independent non-governmental organisations founded in 1995 and dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. ... The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Save the Children Logo Save the Children is an international non-profit organization dedicated to working for children. ... Tearfund is a UK evangelical Christian relief and development organisation. ... It has been suggested that World Vision India, World Vision Australia be merged into this article or section. ...

External links

• Official DEC website
• DEC Wales website

• ActionAid UK - Partnership of people fighting for a better world without poverty
• CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) - Working to promote human development and social justice
• Care International - Humanitarian organisation helping the world's most disadvantaged people
• Christian Aid - Works to improve the lives of people regardless of race or religion and to change the rules that keep people poor.
• Concern - "Working for a world where no one lives in fear, poverty or oppression."
• Help the Aged - Working hard for a world in which older people are valued for their contribution to society
• Merlin - International charity responding to medical emergencies
• Oxfam GB - Working to build a just and safer world and campaigning in the areas trade, conflict, debt and aid, and education
• Red Cross - Specialises in health matters, such as providing medical staff
• Save the Children UK - Fighting for children around the world who suffer from poverty, disease, injustice and violence
• Tearfund - Working to prevent poverty and suffering
• World Vision UK - Works to prevent poverty, hunger and injustice