As part of British Airways’ commitment to help communities respond in times of crisis, the airline is supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Afghanistan Crisis Appeal over the coming months.
Afghanistan is currently experiencing a time of crisis, with years of conflict, the worst drought in 27 years and the widespread impact of COVID-19 causing devastation for many communities across the country. The DEC Afghanistan Crisis Appeal launched on 15 December and will continue to run over the winter period, with more than 22 million people including families and children facing starvation, more than 8 million people on the brink of famine and 1 million children under the age of five at risk of dying from malnutrition in the harshest of winter conditions.
British Airways’ partnership with the DEC first began in 2013. The airline has made an initial financial contribution to support the DEC Afghanistan Crisis Appeal’s relief efforts, which aims to deliver emergency food to families, support healthcare facilities to treat malnutrition and provide winter kits to help displaced families keep warm. It will also be encouraging donations from customers and colleagues throughout the winter to support the appeal and help those communities in need.
Carrie Harris, Head of Sustainability at British Airways, said: “We’re committed to doing all we can to help communities in times of crisis and supporting the current DEC Afghanistan Crisis Appeal is part of that. British Airways’ direct contribution, together with the generosity of our customers and colleagues, will help the DEC provide emergency food supplies, nutritional care for children and healthcare facilities to those who need it most.”
The primary focus of the relief effort is to act now to save lives. DEC charities are already on the ground in Afghanistan and ready to scale up operations to reach the most vulnerable communities.
Since 2013, British Airways has supported 17 humanitarian appeals and raised over £1.5 million through its partnership with the DEC. Relief efforts included Cyclone Idai in 2019 and the Indonesia Tsunami in 2018.
Donations to the DEC Afghanistan Crisis Appeal can be made at: https://donation.dec.org.uk/afghanistan-crisis-appeal.
