Sir Stephen Fry and Myleene Klass are among the stars paying tribute to the “brilliant” Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), as it marks 60 years of broadcast appeals.
The occasion, which coincides with World Humanitarian Day, celebrates the charity and its continuous support for those impacted by disasters across the world, which has helped raise more than £2.5 billion across 80 appeals.
History of DEC appeals
The DEC launched its first broadcast appeal in 1966 in response to a devastating earthquake in Varto, Turkey, and has continued to fundraise in response to humanitarian crises across the world.
The organisation has received longstanding support from the royal family including the late Queen, as well as the King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Its appeals have aired on national broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, and have been fronted by stars including Absolutely Fabulous actress Dame Joanna Lumley and 007 actor Daniel Craig.
Famous faces and member charities
Comedian Sir Lenny Henry, Love Actually star Keira Knightley, Hot Fuzz actor Simon Pegg, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai and actor and rapper Riz Ahmed are among the many names who have also represented the charity for its televised appeals.
The DEC works through 15 member charities, which include World Vision, Save the Children and the British Red Cross, and has launched appeal responses for humanitarian crises including the 1983 famine in Ethiopia to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Tributes from stars
Sir Stephen, who was the face of the DEC appeal following Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008, is among the famous faces celebrating 60 years of the organisation.
The actor and comedian, 68, said: “The DEC is all about bringing help where it’s needed at the time.
“The charities work together, and the money gets funnelled through straight away. It’s a brilliant system, and it’s worked for 60 years, and I hope will continue to do so.”
Save the Children ambassador Klass, who visited the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2014, said: “I held a little girl’s hand, and she told me it was her birthday, and she asked me if I wanted to come and see her mum. I said, ‘of course’ and she walked me to her grave and this girl was four. When you’re a mum, that hits hard.
“It makes you determined to be able to do something if you can. So, I think in a time where no one knows what to do, the DEC does, and 60 years down the line it’s just incredible.”
Broadcasters and CEO comments
Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy was part of a team who appealed for help for the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, an experience he described as being “really special”.
He added: “The DEC brings together the charities and the broadcasters, all of whom sometimes compete for audiences, to try and raise money and change lives.
“All of us who go to those places around the world that are so in need have seen how much aid is needed and how much good that money can do.”
Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the DEC, said he was “incredibly proud” of the successful emergency broadcast appeals by the DEC and its member charities over the last six decades.
He added: “I’ve seen firsthand many times how donations have supported some of the world’s most vulnerable communities when they needed it most, helping people in the face of crisis to survive and recover.
“I am extremely grateful to the incredibly generous UK public for their longstanding support. As we look to the future and a changing world, DEC appeals continue to make a difference to families in urgent need.”
