Charity regulators have urged the public to donate to registered charities and avoid fraudulent appeals to support Pakistan flood victims.
This follows the launch of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Pakistan Floods Appeal, which has already raised over £8m after being launched yesterday and will be match funded by the government up to £5m.
JustGiving has also recorded that over £1m has been raised in a matter of days through its website for 55 different charities.
In Pakistan, flash floods have killed around 1,100 people and injured 1,600. The UN has estimated that around 33 million Pakistani people have been affected overall, with more than 300,000 houses destroyed by the monsoon.
The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator have said that by supporting registered charities the public can be certain that donations will be regulated in line with charity law.
They also advised donors to fund registered charities rather than send donated goods directly to regions, as aid organisations are often better placed to reach people on the ground.
Beware of fake charity appeals
The regulators warned that fraudster and criminals sometimes take advantage of public generosity during emergencies by producing fake appeal websites and scam emails.
Therefore, they suggested donors check a charity's name and registration on the Charity Commission website, as well as looking out for a Fundraising Regulator badge.
The regulators also urged caution when opening emails claiming to be charity appeals.
There are over 1,900 charities on the Commission's website that list Pakistan as an area they work in overseas.
Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: “We’ve all watched in horror as the crisis has unfolded in Pakistan and we know that many people in the UK will want to help the international aid effort. We encourage everyone to follow our simple steps to check that their money gets to its intended cause. Donating to a registered charity is a good way to feel confident of that.”
Gerald Oppenheim, chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator, said: “The ongoing crisis in Pakistan is devastating. Naturally, the goodwill of the British public means many will be eager to support those affected where they can. Before donating goods or money, it is important that people carry out our recommended checks to make sure they are giving to a legitimate cause and that their donations are used for the purpose they were fundraised for.”
Thousands raised online
JustGiving has recorded that over £1m has been raised in a matter of days through its website for charities to help victims of the Pakistan floods, with many national campaigns launched.
Over the past few days, Just Giving has reported that over 200 charity fundraising pages have been set up for 55 different charities.
KORT, a charity that supports orphaned children in AJK and Pakistan, has raised £153,000 in donations so far.
The Amir Khan Foundation has a JustGiving page that has raised £83,770 for victims of the natural disaster.
One Ummah Charity's fundraising page has garnered over £136,000 in donations.
Fundraisers set up by individuals have also raised thousands.
Other Pakistan appeals
Humanitarian charity Human Appeal aims to raise £10m to reach vulnerable people in Pakistan and will be running two TV telethon live appeals over the next two weeks to achieve this.
The charity has already distributed more than 4,000 hot meals, hygiene kits and other emergency assistance across Pakistan.
“This is the most urgent humanitarian crisis we have ever encountered on the ground,” said Numan Shahid, special projects coordinator at Human Appeal
“The sheer numbers of people displaced by the floodwaters are of a magnitude hard to comprehend, and the need is only set to grow in the coming days with still more rains set to fall in already stricken regions.”
The UK for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s national charity in the UK, also launched an emergency appeal yesterday.
So far, the charity has been providing refugee villages and host communities with thousands of emergency relief items, such as a tents, plastic tarpaulins, sleeping mats and more.
“With a staggering one-third of Pakistan submerged, millions of flood survivors are in desperate need, including many refugee families already displaced from neighbouring Afghanistan. They have lost everything – their homes, belongings and livelihoods,” said Emma Cherniavsky, chief executive of UK for UNHCR.
“We are urgently appealing for public support to deliver aid such as emergency shelters, cooking sets and other relief items as quickly as possible, as survivors are left in the open with little protection.”
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the total amount DEC has raised in one day is over £8m as opposed to £500,000, which was just the amount raised via the Big Give's page.
Similarly, Just Giving were able to update the figure and say now over £1m has been raised.
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