Major fundraising appeal launched by UK charities for Rohingya Muslims fleeing Burma

'Without urgent support, the risk of disease and further misery is alarmingly high,' says chief executive of committee

Over a half a million Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh since late August causing a humanitarian crisis in the region (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

A major fundraising appeal has been launched to help the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence in Burma.

The 13 member charities who make up the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) took action to step up their humanitarian relief in the wake of more than half-a-million people seeking medical care, food and sanctuary.

The majority of those are Muslim ethnic minority Rohingya people, who have fled to Bangladesh amid atrocities and fatalities in Rakhine state, on Burma's western coast, following clashes between insurgents and security forces in recent weeks.

The UK Government has pledged to match the first £3 million donated by the public to the DEC emergency appeal.

A campaign video is due to be shown by all major UK broadcasters following the appeal's launch on Wednesday.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: “People are arriving exhausted and traumatised into already overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. This is one of the fastest movements of people we have seen in recent decades.

“Families are living in makeshift shelters or by the side of the road with no clean drinking water, toilets or washing facilities. This humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in a country that is already reeling from the worst floods in decades.

“Without urgent support, the risk of disease and further misery is alarmingly high.”

DEC member charities are already on the ground in Bangladesh delivering emergency aid but said they need more funding to reach people in urgent need.

Aung San Suu Kyi - the civilian leader of Burma, also known as Myanmar - has repeatedly faced criticism from across the globe for her refusal to condemn the actions of the security forces.

:: To make a donation to the DEC emergency appeal visit http://www.dec.org.uk, call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 610, donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or send a cheque. Alternatively, donate £5 by texting the word SUPPORT to 70000.

Press Association