UK Government announces further aid match to the DEC’s Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, as winter weather adds to misery in Gaza

The UK Government has announced it is matching donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Middle East Humanitarian Appeal up to a further £3 million, to help DEC charities support vulnerable families in the Middle East this winter. 

In Gaza, where the majority of funds from the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal are being spent, recent heavy rain has caused flooding that has inundated tents and destroyed people's belongings. A dire shortage of shelter and essential items means children are facing cold nighttime temperatures without warm clothes or blankets. 

The announcement comes as charities and fundraisers across the country mark Giving Tuesday, an annual opportunity for people to support the causes they care about by donating, volunteering and celebrating the good work of others.

The DEC's Middle East Humanitarian Appeal has raised more than £55 million since its launch in October 2024, reaching people impacted by conflict in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Syria with lifesaving aid.  The UK Government previously matched £10 million of donations when the appeal launched, as part of its UK Aid Match scheme.

Since October's ceasefire agreement in Gaza, DEC charities and their local partners have been able to scale up their work thanks to generous UK donations to the appeal. Although goods are available again in local markets and malnutrition rates are finally decreasing, the needs in Gaza remain huge. Over 80% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and families are spending their third winter in makeshift shelters having been displaced multiple times. The harsh weather means living conditions are deteriorating rapidly and the risk of diseases is spreading. 

Increased access for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza at scale is still desperately needed, but despite the challenges, DEC charities are working around the clock to deliver cash, medical care, food, clean water, essential supplies and so much more. 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“The situation in Gaza remains critical, with winter weather taking conditions from bad to worse. Innocent families are facing icy winds and biting rain, forced to live in exposed conditions. We must act now to get vital winter aid to those that need it.”

“Supported by the British people's generous donations, the DEC's aid partners have already done so much, and they have the skills and knowhow to effect real change on the ground – delivering aid, winter supplies and shelter.

“That is why the UK Government will match every donation made to this worthy cause pound for pound, up to the value of £3 million, so we can work together to support the people of Gaza in their time of need.”

Saleh Saeed, Chief Executive of the DEC, said:

“It's heartbreaking to see the damage caused by the recent rain in Gaza. People were already living in unimaginably difficult conditions, and winter is making life even more unbearable for families living in tents with little protection from the elements.

The public's generosity towards this appeal has been wonderful to see, and donations continue to provide a lifeline. Every pound donated to the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal is now being matched by the UK Government up to £3 million, and the DEC are providing vital funding to member charities and their local partners so they can reach the most vulnerable. This Giving Tuesday, please support the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal to help families survive the winter.”

Jennifer Higgins, the British Red Cross's Country Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said: 

“Winter has only just begun and it's already intensified the crisis in Gaza. Diseases are more likely to spread amid flooding and cold weather. For many, the little shelter they already had has been washed out. We stand ready to scale up our life-saving aid. With the generous support of the public, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams can continue their vital work."

Jamil Sawalmeh, Country Director for Action Aid Palestine said: 

“Children are sleeping in flooded tents, parents are burning scraps of plastic to stay warm, and entire communities are being washed into the mud. Our partners and staff are watching their shelters collapse in the rain, no one in Gaza is safe from this storm. No one can survive a winter like this without proper shelter".

Notes to editors

Media enquiries please call 07930 999 014 or 07890 839 270 (out of hours).    

Interview requests: For spokespeople, pictures and b-roll please contact: sgard@dec.org.uk   

About the DEC: The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities at times of crisis overseas to raise funds quickly and efficiently. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help, and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response.   

All 15 of the DEC's members are responding in the Middle East and are receiving funds from this appeal. Several are also working through trusted local partners.   

They are Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.   

The majority of appeal funds spent so far are supporting programmes in Gaza, where more than 2 million people desperately need humanitarian support. During the first six months of the appeal, 72% of funds were spent in Gaza. In the first six months alone, this has meant that 440,000 hot meals have been distributed, 420,000 people have been able to access drinking water and 109,000 people have received healthcare and medicine.

Funds are also supporting people in Lebanon, where many are still displaced and facing significant challenges following the ceasefire agreement in November 2024.  Some of the funds are supporting people in Syria, where families fled from Lebanon last year, and in the West Bank, where the escalation in violence has forced people to flee their homes, and had a devastating economic impact.   

For the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, £10 million of donations from the UK public have already been matched by UK Aid Match.   

Through UK Aid Match the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) gives the British public the opportunity to have a say in how the UK aid budget is spent whilst boosting the impact of the very best British charities to change and save the lives of some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.     

UK Aid Match enquiries should be directed to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Please call 020 7023 0600 (24-hour).