An appeal in the UK to raise money for those
affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria was able to generate £60
million ($72.8 million) in just three days, according to The Daily Mail on
Monday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and King
Charles III, who stated they were "horrified" by the "harrowing
photographs" of the areas impacted, have all lent their support to the
Disasters Emergency Committee's campaign, which supports 15 organisations.
"We're tremendously grateful to the
British public for their hugely generous response," DEC CEO Saleh Saeed
remarked.
However, the UK government, which has also
made a $5 million donation to the fund, has come under fire for continuing to
impose sanctions on Syria, making it more difficult to facilitate humanitarian
relief.
The UK's development minister, Andrew
Mitchell, stated to the BBC on Sunday that the sanctions imposed by his nation
against Syria are still in effect.
Ministers would "do everything [they]
can" to ensure that aid reaches those in need, he promised.
"We would want to have sanctions lifted
specifically here, where they would hold us back in any manner, but right now
we are able to get what we want through," he continued.
On Saturday, the US announced a 180-day
suspension of its sanctions against the violent nation for "any
transactions linked to earthquake relief activities."