The King and Queen have made a second undisclosed donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Middle East Humanitarian Appeal.
The appeal is supporting those impacted by conflict across Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Syria and has now passed £40 million.
Saleh Saeed, the DEC’s chief executive, said: “Their Majesties the King and Queen’s continued support for the DEC and our appeals highlights their ongoing commitment to addressing the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises.
Queen Camilla (right) with Deborah Meaden during a reception at Buckingham Palace recognising the work of humanitarian organisations (Aaron Chown/PA)
“The levels of need in Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank and Syria are incredibly high, and every donation to the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal is helping our charities and their local partners to reach more people with lifesaving support.
“We are incredibly grateful for the UK public’s extraordinary generosity.”
The DEC has said over the past weeks its member charities and their local partners have been working to adapt their responses in Gaza, to support some of the hundreds of thousands of people who have returned to their communities in the north and urgently need support.
The organisations are providing access to clean water, distributing hygiene kits, hot meals, warm clothing and bedding, and supporting families with medical care and specialist mental health support.
The King and Queen were among the first to donate to the appeal at its launch last October and their latest financial support follows a humanitarian reception they hosted at Buckingham Palace last Thursday celebrating those working in the sector.
The day before the King privately met the chief executive officers of the 15 DEC charities to hear about the challenges they are facing responding to some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises.