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The island's Overseas Aid & Development Commission has made a total £70,000 donation to two international appeals, in order to help those who have had a less-than-happy Christmas.
It has paid £40,000 to Tearfund to support their work in Yemen, providing much needed food aid because of the long running fighting the country, and £30,000 to go toward the aid efforts surrounding the Indonesian tsunami that has just happened.
In agreeing the award to Tearfund, the Commission noted that the charity has raised over £3m. to provide food for vulnerable households and to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. The Commission’s award will ensure that Tearfund’s food aid programme is fully funded until the end of March 2019.
Additionally, the further £30,000 has been paid to the appeal launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee earlier this year because of the disasters in Lombok and Sulawesi. This following the most recent disaster in Indonesia where a tsunami has killed hundreds. In October, when the appeal started, Guernsey gave £75,000.
The Commission’s donation, on behalf of the people of Guernsey, will help support the work of the DEC’s member humanitarian charities and NGOs to extend the Indonesian government-led response in the areas affected by the most recent tsunami in the regions bordering the Sunda Strait. The award from the Commission will enable the DEC to support the work of its partner agencies to provide emergency shelter, safe water and sanitation, health care, emergency livelihoods and protection services.
Guernsey's Overseas Aid and Development Commission has an annual budget of £2.885m. to support specific development and humanitarian projects in the world’s least developed countries, including £200,000 to provide disaster and emergency aid following catastrophic natural or humanitarian crisis.
In addition, the Commission is working hard to identify opportunities to work closely withlocal businesses, organisations and charities that will mean that Guernsey’s annual contribution to overseas development is maximised.
Pictured top: inset, latest news articles surrounding the Indonesian tsunami.
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