The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) announced this morning that it will launch an appeal for people affected by the conflict in Gaza.

The DEC, which brings together 13 leading aid charities to collectively raise money in times of crisis, is taking donations online, through a 24 hour phone line and via text message.

Broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 Channel 5 and Sky will show the appeal from tomorrow.

With a temporary ceasefire now in place aid agencies are planning to scale up the level of assistance they are providing to people in Gaza. Up to 485,000 people urgently need food, 1.5 million have limited access to water and sanitation and more than 65,000 people have been made homeless by the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the DEC, said: “Many people are living in terribly overcrowded UN shelters, but they still need food and basic household items which we take for granted. Many are in urgent need of medical care, but hospital supplies are almost finished.

“Even before the conflict began the people of Gaza were close to breaking point. Now we are seeing a humanitarian emergency affecting virtually every man, woman and child in Gaza.”

So far 11 of the DEC’s members are working, or plan to work, in Gaza. These include Oxfam, which is delivering water to 175,000 people per day, and the British Red Cross, which is supporting medical services.

In 2009 the BBC and Sky decided against broadcasting a DEC appeal for Gaza.

The BBC’s decision in 2009 prompted 40,000 complaints but the broadcaster said that it did not show the appeal because there were question marks about the delivery of aid in a volatile situation and also to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC's impartiality". The complaints did prompt the BBC to carry out a review of its appeals policy. 

This time the BBC said it was satisfied that its criteria have been met, and said in a statement: “The humanitarian need in Gaza has been widely acknowledged, including by the Israeli government, and the DEC has given assurances that aid can reach those who need it.”