‘Hugely generous’: UK appeal for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria raises £60m in 72 hours

• The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) campaign backed by Will and Kate
• But the UK Government is facing growing calls to lift sanctions in Syria for aid 

A British appeal to help earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria has raised more than £60million in three days.

The Prince and Princess of Wales backed the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) campaign last week.

And the UK Government has donated £5million to the fund, which supports 15 charities. 

But while charity bosses praised the ‘hugely generous’ response from the British public, the Government faced growing calls to lift sanctions in Syria to ease aid drop-offs.

On Saturday, the US announced a 180-day exemption to its sanctions on Syria for ‘all transactions related to earthquake relief efforts’. 

A British appeal to help earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria has raised more than £60million in three days. Pictured is devastation in Antakya, Turkey

Emergency personnel and local people work at the site of collapsed buildings following a powerful earthquake in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey

But when asked whether the UK would lift its own penalties on the war-torn country, development minister Andrew Mitchell defended the Government’s response.

He told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg yesterday ministers would ‘do everything [they] can to make sure aid gets through to people who are suffering’.

He added: ‘Specifically here, where sanctions would hold us back in any way, we would seek to have them lifted. 

‘But at the moment we are able to get what we want through.’ 

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: ‘We’re incredibly grateful to the British public for their hugely generous response.’

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