There was a special recognition for members of the Disasters Emergency Committee as they met with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace to discuss how the British public has helped thousands of people impacted by devastating floods in Pakistan last year.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) brings together 15 different leading UK aid charities to raise funds and respond to overseas emergencies. Since the Pakistan floods last summer, the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal has raised more than £47 million which includes £5 million matched by the UK Government. In the first six months of aid, 150,000 were matched with healthcare, 120,000 were given safe water, and another 65,000 people were given shelter.
Eleven DEC charities delivered aid through 23 local partners in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab to those who lost their homes and belongings. This is in addition to communities cut off from access to hygiene kits, safe drinking water, and medical facilities. To ensure protection of women and children, safe spaces were opened to provide counselling and information services as well as education.
Saleh Saeed, the DEC’s chief executive, said: ‘We’ve seen and heard so many times now how the climate crisis is causing or exacerbating humanitarian crises. The rains fail, or come too heavily, or at different and unusual times. For many people and communities already on the edge of disaster they simply find themselves pushed over the brink. As we all grapple with the impact of climate change we warmly welcome His Majesty The King’s interest and support in our work in responding to the needs of those most affected and who are often those who have done the least to cause it.’
Following the floods, The King, The Late Queen Elizabeth II, and the Prince and Princess of Wales made donations to the appeal to help the millions left homeless.
During the special recognition event at Buckingham Palace, His Majesty was also updated on the food crisis in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia due to ongoing severe drought which is said to be some of the worst in living memory. Climate change and how it’s impacting some of the world’s most vulnerable communities was also brought up. Protecting the environment is a passion for The King and is often a topic addressed in his work.