The DEC – what is it and how can you donate?

The Disaster Emergencies Committee – or DEC – is an umbrella organisation combining 15 leading aid charities in the UK. When there is a crisis overseas that requires financial help – like the Ukraine war for example – the DEC can pool their resources and get help to those who need it fast. You can donate to the DEC on their website or through GoFundMe.

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What does the DEC do?

As mentioned above, the DEC combines 15 of the leading aid charities in the UK. When help is required fast, these charities can pool their resources to get help on the ground exactly where it is needed. They were launched in 1963 and since then have launched 77 appeals for major overseas disasters, including the Turkey-Syria earthquake, the Ukraine war and the Pakistan floods appeal.

Which charities are members of the DEC?

The 15 charities that are members of the DEC are trusted experts in their areas, each providing different aspects of help where it’s needed. The charities are:

Action Against Hunger
Age International
Action Aid
The British Red Cross
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development
Care International
Christian Aid
Concern Worldwide
International Rescue Committee
Islamic Relief
Oxfam
Plan International
Save The Children
Tear Fund
World Vision

How funds are distributed to charities

The 15 members of the DEC can deliver aid when it is needed through themselves or trusted partners. The DEC uses a formula to work out how to distribute these funds to their charities, which involves looking at how each organisation spends money on aid overseas and also how they fundraise in the UK. No one agency gets more than 20% of the funds available and no less than 3%.

DEC appeals

The DEC works to get the aid needed fast to people who need it amid humanitarian crises. This involves raising awareness of what is going on to people in the UK through appeals.

Middle East Humanitarian Appeal

Over the past year, conflict in the Middle East has devastated lives across the region, and millions have fled their homes in search of safety. Right now, millions of people across Gaza, Lebanon and the wider region are in urgent need of food, shelter and medical care. DEC charities are on the ground saving lives right now, and they are ready to act wherever the needs are greatest. They are providing lifesaving food, water, shelter, medicine and so much more, but they urgently need your help to reach more people.

Myanmar Earthquake Appeal

On 28 March 2025, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated huge areas of Myanmar. Thousands of people were killed, and hundreds of thousands more lost their homes, businesses, and livelihoods. Now over six months on from the disaster, many people are living in temporary shelters, with little access to healthcare, clean water and other essential services. The humanitarian needs remain huge, with widespread destruction still affecting cities, towns, and villages. Myanmar was already facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with a third of the population in need of humanitarian aid.

How can you donate to the DEC?

There are a number of ways that you can donate to the DEC. You can donate to specific appeals online (including Gift Aid), via PayPal, on the phone, by post or by text. You can also leave the DEC as a legacy in your will and the DEC has also partnered with some banking apps so you can make donations directly through there, too. You can read more about how to donate to the DEC here.

You can also donate to the DEC through GoFundMe – or start your own GoFundMe to raise money for them.

To read more about how the DEC use donations, please follow this link.

We’ve also got tips on how to start charity fundraising here.