What is the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)?

What is the DEC?

When a major emergency occurs overseas, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) brings together 15 UK charities – the British Red Cross included – to raise funds for an effective, coordinated response. 

When you donate to a DEC appeal, the money goes on to each of the 15 member charities, who then deliver aid through their own operations in each affected area.

Current DEC Appeals

On 1 July 2026 DEC launched the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal in response to two devastating earthquakes that struck the north of Venezuela in quick succession on 24 June 2026. 

Donate to the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal 

Learn more about how the Red Cross is responding

The DEC's history of emergency funding

Founded in 1963, the DEC's first appeal responded to the August 1966 earthquake in Varto, Turkey. Since then, the committee has run 77 appeals and raised more than £2.4 billion as disaster emergency funding, saving millions of lives and helping rebuild communities devastated by disasters.

The other charities on the committee are Action Against Hunger, ActionAid, Age International, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Care, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

The most recent DEC appeal was launched on 1 July 2026, after two large earthquakes struck in Venezula less than a minute apart on 24 June. Over 1,450 are known to have been killed, but the death toll could be much higher. 

Prior to that, appeals were launched after the Myanmar earthquake in 2025, theTurkey-Syria earthquake in 2023 and the 2022 Pakistan flood. There may be several active appeals the DEC is fundraising for at any time. They also monitor ongoing crises around the world that may develop into situations that meet their appeal criteria. 

• DEC appeals that are currently active
  

When does the DEC launch an appeal?

Appeals are only launched when the DEC know they can make a difference and that they can raise a substantial amount of money to help. There are many factors that go into deciding whether or not to launch an appeal. If a country has the capacity to respond to an emergency itself, there won't be a reason to launch an appeal campaign. Public awareness in the UK is another factor that contributes to the decision.

This is judged using the following appeal criteria:

• The disaster must be on such a scale and of such urgency as to call for swift international humanitarian assistance.
• The DEC’s member charities, or some of them, must be in a position to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national appeal.
• There must be reasonable grounds for concluding that a public appeal would be successful, either because of evidence of existing public sympathy for the humanitarian situation or because there is a compelling case indicating the likelihood of significant public support should an appeal be launched.

DEC appeals with the British Red Cross

June 2026: Venezuela Earthquake Appeal

On 1 July, the DEC launched the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal to support people affected by two strong earthquakes that hit  the north-central area of Venezuela less than a minute apart on 24 June. Over 1,450 people are known to have died, and this number could rise to over 10,000. In some areas, including the epicentre in La Guaira state and the capital, Caracas, hundreds of buildings collapsed leaving people trapped under the rubble. 

Almost immediately, people faced a shortage of water, food, and shelter. With more than 430 aftershocks so far, people are afraid to return to their homes, or are waiting for news about family members trapped under the rubble. Many are also waiting for news of family members trapped under the rubble. Almost 10 million people have been affected. 

The Venezuelan Red Cross began helping immediately, despite critical damage to its national headquarters. The first steps have been search and rescue, and setting up a field hospital giving urgent medical care to injured people. Red Cross teams are also rushhing vital supplies to people in the worst-affected areas.

Red Cross specialists from across the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are supporting the Venezuelan Red Cross have joined forces with the Venezuelan Red Cross. They have also sent 23 tonnes of essential supplies include blankets, water filters, thermal sleeping kits, test kits, beds and first aid kits.

April 2025: Myanmar Earthquake Appeal

On 3 April 2025, the DEC launched the Myanmar Earthquake appeal in response to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck on 28th March 2025, killing thousands of people and injuring countless more. 

The earthquake is a disaster on top of an already dire situation in a country where people are facing severe humanitarian challenges.

The Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) responded immediately after the earthquake struck on 28th March 2025. With volunteers throughout the country, MRCS provided support with search and rescue efforts, as well as providing healthcare through mobile clinics and ambulances. Their longstanding local presence and trust within communities has made them uniquely positioned to respond. 

MRCS has also been distributing aid including shelter materials and supporting families who have been separated.

MRCS is being supported by the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, to coordinate a large-scale humanitarian response. The International Federation of the Red Cross Network continues to provide technical support to MRCS, whilst the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) sent a team of 21 personnel to assist with search and rescue operations.

February 2023: Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal

In February 2023, the DEC launched the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, following two powerful earthquakes which impacted southern Turkiye (Turkey) and northern Syria. 

The earthquakes killed over 44,000 people with a further 70,000 injured. The earthquakes were estimated to have directly impacted 23 million people

Emergency responders from the Turkish Red Crescent and Syrian Arab Red Crescent were immediately on the ground providing urgent humanitarian relief and supporting rescue efforts. 

In Turkiye (Turkey) more than 350 mobile kitchens and 86 catering trucks were deployed to provide food for people in the weeks after the earthquake. As it happened during the winter, the Turkish Red Crescent aimed to deliver over 50,000 blankets, 10,000 electric heaters, 25,000 sleeping bags, and 25,000 beds to the region.

Across the border, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered life-saving assistance and support to those in need in the regions of Hama, Aleppo, and Lattakia. 

Over 4,000 staff and volunteers and 53 Red Crescent ambulances were deployed to help with search and rescue efforts, providing first aid or transporting injured people to medical facilities. The Red Crescent also provided support on human remains management as well as restoring family links, providing psychosocial support services, establishing community shelters, and relief distributions.