Tag: aid

Six days to go: Collection points for EDA Syria Appeal

Thousands Of Syrian Refugees Seek Shelter In Makeshift Camps In Jordan

A final reminder of the local collection points for donations to the Edinburgh Direct Aid Syria appeal (the container leaves in SIX days):

  • Community Shop, Pennywell Road
  • Pilton Youth & Childrens Project, West Pilton Place
  • Spartans Community Football Academy, Ainslie Park
  • Edinburgh Direct Aid warehouse, West Harbour Road

 

WHAT’S NEEDED by EDA:

NO MORE CLOTHES, SHOES or BEDDING!

Thank you, but we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of response – our container is almost bulked out. If you have already collected goods on our list – padded jackets, welly boots, etc., – do bring them in. If we can’t send them now, we’ll send them later – but please don’t organise any new collections at the moment!

BUT DEFINITELY:

(new!) underwear
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes

and for schools and vocational training:

notebooks, A4 paper
pens/pencils, boardwriters
sewing materials, wool

EDA WAREHOUSE OPENING TIMES:

Wednesday and Saturdays until SEPTEMBER 23

11:00am to 3pm 

Contact Ann at 0781 494 9468

PM outlines details of £100 million package to support Syrian refugees

UK aid contribution reaches £1 billion

refugee 1

Prime Minister David Cameron will visit Lebanon today to see first hand how UK aid is helping the most vulnerable people who have been driven from their homes in Syria.

While there, as the UK’s aid contribution reaches £1 billion, he will outline the details of the extra £100 million package to help Syrian refugees, including £40 million to be used in the region surrounding Syria.

The £40 million will be allocated to the UN and NGO (non-governmental organisation) partners working in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, including British aid agencies like Save the Children, providing shelter, food, relief packages, health and protection services, as well as cash assistance – giving individuals the freedom to decide how best to cover their needs.

what the government is doing to help Syrian refugees.

Up to £29 million will go to Lebanon – host to 1.1 million Syrian refugees, or over a quarter of Lebanon’s population. The aid will help refugees and impoverished host communities cope, helping to reduce tensions between those communities and lower the risk of conflict in Lebanon which, if it broke out, could lead to more displacement of people who may look to come to Europe. Some of the aid assistance will also focus on Palestinian refugees (via United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), and support to Lebanese municipalities (via United Nations Development Programme).

The new support to Lebanon will provide:

  • food packages or vouchers for over 250,000 refugees living in Lebanon and the most vulnerable people in communities hosting refugees
  • relief packages for thousands of refugees, with items such as thermal blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, fuel and heating stoves, cooking stoves and kitchen utensils
  • psychosocial consultations for children and counselling for adults to help them work through the trauma they have experienced
  • child-friendly spaces offering a safe place for children to play, study and spend the day
  • support for agencies working to reduce the incidence and impact of sexual and gender based violence against women and girls, including counselling, legal services and safe spaces
  • food, water, relief packages, health and protection assistance for over 21,000 Palestinian refugees
  • support to help Lebanese municipalities cope with the increased populations in villages and towns.

Up to £6 million will help Jordan – host to over 629,000 refugees, or over a fifth of its population – to meet essential needs and reduce the incentive for refugees considering routes to Europe.

Up to £5 million will also support the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey, providing food and healthcare for those situated outside of the camps. This aid comes in addition to the £4 million announced for Turkey by the Development Secretary in February, bringing the UK’s total contribution to Turkey this year to £9 million. This support will be channelled through UN and NGO agencies who are best placed to respond to the crisis, alongside the Turkish authorities.

The additional £100 million, announced by the Prime Minister last week in Madrid, will be used to provide food, water, health care, education and shelter to people in Syria as well as in neighbouring countries, helping them to meet their basic needs where they are, rather than taking the desperate decision to risk their lives by attempting to get to Europe.

Nearly 12 million people have been displaced by violence in Syria and nearly 8 million of those remain in the country, including many tens of thousands in informal camps near the Turkish border. Millions more suffering from the violence – who are yet to leave their homes – also need assistance.

In Syria itself, working with the International Rescue Committee, World Food Programme and UN agencies, £60 million will be spent to provide thousands of internally displaced people with a range of support including food, water, urgent trauma care and first aid. British funds will also help to provide essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment, as well as training for hundreds of dedicated health specialists and workers in the region.

Of those funds:

  • over £20 million will go to partners delivering aid across Syria’s borders without the consent of the Assad regime, including £10 million to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for medical assistance, protection services, education and livelihoods
  • £10 million will go to OCHA’s Humanitarian Pool Fund to support and build capacity of local Syrian NGOs in Syria
  • £18 million will go to the World Food Programme, expected to provide over 2.7 million individual monthly food rations
  • the remaining £12 million will go to organisations providing humanitarian support inside Syria

The Prime Minister said: “As the second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian crisis in Syria our aid effort is supporting thousands of people to rebuild their lives, providing protection, counselling and schooling, alongside the provision of basic food and water.

“Investment in health, education, jobs and stability is the most effective way to help people overseas, and it is clearly in Britain’s interests.

“Around 3% of the 11 million Syrians forced from their homes have sought asylum in Europe, and without British aid hundreds of thousands more could be risking their lives seeking to get to Europe, so these funds are part of our comprehensive approach to tackle migration from the region.

“For thousands of refugees this money means a meal for their families, the security of a home with basic sanitation and clean water, and for children it means an education so we don’t lose a generation to the Syrian conflict.

“Our goal remains to support the development of a secure, stable and peaceful Syria. Without our investment in international development, the numbers of people seeking to embark on a perilous journey to Europe would be far greater.”

Helping the helpless: local collection points for humanitarian aid

Edinburgh Direct Aid supporting Syrian refugees

syria children

Newhaven -based charity Edinburgh Direct Aid (EDA) is supporting international efforts to give aid to the tens of thousands of desperate people who have been forced to flee their homes, run for their lives and risk the safety of their families.

We can help by providing much-needed supplies – we can all help to make a difference.

The public response has already been tremendous, but the following items are urgently needed:

underwear (new!)
toothpaste
toothbrushes
soap
detergent
toilet paper
nappies
sanitary towels
wipes

And equipment needed for education and vocational training:

notebooks

A4 paper

pens/pencils

boardwriters

sewing materials

wool’

WHERE TO DONATE:

GRANTON MUIRHOUSE and WEST PILTON

The EDA warehouse is located behind a wire-grid gate on the south side of West Harbour Road – just past the TEBA boxing studio and opposite Len Lothian. It’s now open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am – 3pm.

It is usually possible to park in the road outside, or to bring a car inside the gate but manoeuvring inside the yard can be awkward.

For further information contact Ian on 0785 785 5849

If it’s more convenient, you can make your donations in Muirhouse or West Pilton – both Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road (Monday to Friday 9am -3pm) and Pilton Youth & Childrens Project (PYCP) (telephone 332 9815) are also collection points for the Edinburgh Direct Aid appeal.

Please give what you can

Scotland responds to humanitarian crisis

‘we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Kobani ruins

An operational taskforce is to be established to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the humanitarian refugee crisis following yesterday’s Edinburgh summit convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister said Scotland stands ready to welcome refugees, as she confirmed that the task force would urgently engage organisations across Scotland to establish capacity in a range of matters such as housing, health services, language support, transport and social services.

The First Minister announced that Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf will chair the group, which will also examine how Scotland can harness the goodwill of the public in Scotland with many of the humanitarian organisations already reporting a huge number of offers of practical help from individuals and groups across the country.

Ms Sturgeon said that yesterday’s summit had been positive and productive with people who have sought sanctuary in Scotland invited to give their own personal testimonies about the practicalities of settling in a new country.

She also confirmed that the discussions would be summarised and sent to the Prime Minister as part of a positive offer of support from Scotland as the UK responds to the migration crisis.

The First Minister said: “I want, as First Minister, to ensure that Scotland is playing its part in dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Today’s summit was a positive and productive first step with a sense that we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy.

“Scotland already has well established structures in place for integrating those who come here seeking asylum and we stand ready to welcome our fair share of people fleeing persecution. However, if we are to do this, there is no doubt that we do require a proper, co-ordinated approach.

“Today’s summit was focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved and I have now established a task force to co-ordinate Scotland’s response, working with local authorities, public agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that any refugees that come to Scotland will be able to integrate successfully. As a first step, I expect the task force to examine capacity in a range of services in Scotland, including housing, health and social services.

“The task force will also have a hugely important role in harnessing the many, many expressions of goodwill and offers of help from the public in Scotland, providing a focal point for that activity and ensuring that the wider Scottish community is able to play its part in welcoming people to our country.”

Ms Sturgeon went on: “During the talks today there was real clarity expressed around the UK Government’s need to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to the problem and agree to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees.

“We want to work constructively with the UK government and I welcome the additional steps that the Prime Minister has set out but there has to be much more detail given – for example we still don’t know how many refugees he is talking about or whether these are just refugees from Syrian camps or those in Europe.

“There are not any easy solutions to this, but all of us have a responsibility as human beings to recognise the extent of this humanitarian crisis and resolve together to do something about it. If we all play our part then the totality of that response might just have a chance of dealing effectively with the problem.”

DEC launches Ebola crisis appeal

DEC launches first ever appeal in response to disease outbreak
Ebola Getty
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)  member agencies are scaling up their aid efforts in West Africa where they have already helped over 2.5m people affected by the Ebola crisis. The DEC launched its Ebola Crisis Appeal yesterday with appeals carried by all major UK broadcasters.
The urgent appeal for funds is essential to help member agencies intensify their efforts to stop the explosive spread of the disease and support those affected.
DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “Aid workers are on the front line in the fight against Ebola.  Some are facing great risk and local staff and partners are also being ostracised by their friends and families because people are so terrified.
“This is a price they are prepared to pay as they struggle to stop the spread of the disease and support those affected by the crisis.  They need your help NOW not only to support medical treatment but to bury the dead safely, care for Ebola orphans, help families disinfect their homes, provide food to people in quarantine and, critically, to teach communities how to keep themselves safe and stop the spread of Ebola.”
This is the first time in the DEC’s 50-year history that it has launched an appeal in response to a disease outbreak: an historic move that reflects the scale of the situation.
The Ebola outbreak is the most severe the world has ever seen: it has so far infected 10,000 people and killed nearly 5,000 more, with the World Health Organisation warning of up to 10,000 new cases a week by December if it is not contained.
All major UK broadcasters carryied the DEC appeal yesterday, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. The appeal is also supported by other major DEC partners including ITN, BT, Post Office, British Bankers Association, Royal Mail, RadioCentre and NewsNow.
In addition to the 2.5 million people reached by DEC member agencies’ efforts, several hundreds of thousands more have been targeted by radio broadcasts and print materials containing life-saving messages on how communities can safeguard themselves from the disease.
Amongst the aid delivered activities so far include:
  • ActionAid has reached over 271,000 people in Sierra Leone and Liberia, delivering sanitation supplies to medical facilities, giving food and clothing to affected families and running public information campaigns.
  • British Red Cross partners have buried 3,595 victims of Ebola safely and with dignity across Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. They have helped to trace over 41,000 at-risk individuals.
  • CAFOD is giving food aid to over 9,000 quarantined families, providing sanitation materials and training faith leaders to raise awareness of safe burial practices.
  • CARE International has distributed hygiene packs to 1,100 vulnerable and quarantined households in Sierra Leone, reaching 53,000 people. The kits include soap, buckets fitted with taps and other essential materials.
  • Christian Aid is distributing food and hygiene kits to over 2,000 quarantined residents in Ebola hotspots and has reached 1.2 million people with awareness raising work, run by 900 volunteers using existing community networks.
  • Concern Worldwide is managing burial teams, educating communities on prevention methods and supporting district health workers. It has reached 170,000 people in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
  • Oxfam is providing hygiene kits, giving health and burial workers protective clothing, supplying water to treatment and isolation centres, and co-ordinating door-to-door awareness-raising campaigns. It has reached almost 500,000 people.
  • Plan UK is giving psychosocial care to children, and has distributed food and sanitation kits to nearly 45,000 people.
  • Save the Children are building and managing health and community care centres where Ebola sufferers can be isolated and treated. It is training health volunteers and providing medical supplies.
  • Tearfund is working with over 1,000 churches to curb transmission, reaching over 350,000 people with prevention advice and distributing 2,600 hygiene kits to families.
  • World Vision has reached 7,500 people in mosques and churches with disease prevention advice and is providing materials to health workers.
The DEC does not set fundraising targets for its appeals and is always grateful for whatever support the UK public are able to offer.  
 
To make a donation to the DEC Ebola Crisis Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk or call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900. You can also donate £5 by texting the word SUPPORT to 70000. 
What your money could buy: 
  • £25 can provide cleaning kits including bleach, soap and a bucket for three families at risk from Ebola.
  • £50 can provide basic protective clothing such as gloves, masks, boots and gowns for three volunteers supporting people under quarantine.
  • £100 can provide training to a community on how to keep themselves safe and help stop the spread of Ebola.
Stay up to date with developments in Ebola, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts with the DEC on twitter:http://twitter.com/decappeal or on Facebook via http://www.facebook.com/DisastersEmergencyCommittee 
getty-images
pictures: Getty Images

Help get goods to Gaza

Toy convoy leaves on Friday

gaza poster 22.8.14Edinburgh Direct Aid who are the group behind the collection – they have been amazed by the response so far.

However they tell me they are in desperate need of:

  • Stationery Items
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Pencils etc

These items will be head to Gaza for the children 

They also need:

  • Parcel tape
  • Card Board boxes all the same size
  • Marker pens

These will be used for packaging the items for shipment

Do you know anyone who can help?

Maybe you have a few things to donate?

DEADLINE is FRIDAY at 5pm

*Note – Toys will also still be accepted


Robert Pearson
Tenants & Residents In Muirhouse (TRIM)