Local Editor
Guernsey’s Overseas Aid Commission has made donations to help in the response to the Indonesian tsunami and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
‘Like many islanders, the commissioners are very mindful that for many Christmas 2018 will not be filled with happy memories because of the impact of natural disasters and humanitarian crisis,’ said a commission spokesman.
‘The commission has therefore agreed to make two awards to provide some assistance to communities in desperate need for food and shelter through no fault of their own.’
It made a donation of £40,000 to Tearfund to support its work in Yemen providing food aid needed because of a three-year-long Saudi-led war in the country which has killed nearly 10,000 people and left millions on the brink of starvation.
A ceasefire has been agreed, but estimates suggest that 17.8 million people face food insecurity, a 5% increase since 2017.
In agreeing the award to Tearfund, the commission noted that the charity has raised more than £3 million to provide food for vulnerable households and to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as health care. The money will ensure that Tearfund’s food aid program is fully funded until the end of March.
The commission has also agreed to make a further donation of £30,000 to the appeal originally launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee in October following the earthquakes and tsunami in Lombok and Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
