The City of London Corporation is making two donations of £25,000 each to the British Red Cross appeals helping victims of the Libya flood and Morocco earthquake.
The Square Mile’s governing body is also encouraging others to donate to the aid effort which will save lives and help people recover.
The decision was made by the City Corporation’s Finance Committee today and will be allocated from its International Disasters Fund.
On Sunday, 10 September, Storm Daniel hit north-eastern Libya. The result was devastating flash floods, with tsunami-like waves which swept away everything in their path.
In the port city of Derna, two dams burst under the pressure and entire neighbourhoods were destroyed by the three-metre-high flood waters. Thousands of people were killed, and bridges, buildings and vital infrastructure were wrecked.
The eastern cities of Benghazi, Sousa, and Al-Marj were hit by flash flooding and, like Derna, are in urgent need of vital aid and support.
And earlier this month, a powerful earthquake struck central Morocco. Thousands are known to have died in the tremor – the country’s deadliest in 60 years.
Thousands of people have died, with many more critically injured. The total number of people affected is in the hundreds of thousands.
Many of the worst affected areas are remote and mountainous. The impact of the earthquake has made them even harder to reach.
Chairman of the City Corporation’s Finance Committee, Henry Colthurst, said:
“These are destructive events which have had an appalling impact on people and communities, often the ones least able to cope. Thousands have died whilst many others have been left with terrible injuries.
“Families have lost everything. Their homes have been reduced to rubble. Survivors are desperately in need of shelter, food, and water. They now face disease which is so often the fatal aftermath of such disasters.
“We urge businesses and other organisations across the capital which are able to help, to join us in donating to these appeals, and to support the vital work being done to help these devastated communities.”
