Funds raised by this appeal will initially focus on displaced populations in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, DRC, Afghanistan and the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The UK government will be matching the first £5 million of public donations to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (a coalition of 14 UK charities) coronavirus appeal to help the more vulnerable countries and communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Disaster Emergency Committee will use donations from the British public and UK aid to tackle coronavirus in refugee camps and save lives in developing countries by providing frontline doctors and aid workers with equipment and supplies to care for the vulnerable and sick, ensuring families get enough food to prevent malnutrition, particularly amongst children, and giving families clean water and soap, as well as information about the dangers of the disease.

The announcement takes the total amount of UK aid pledged to end the pandemic globally to £769 million.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said they are matching generous donations from the British people to the emergency appeal pound for pound, meaning the money will go twice as far in helping to protect millions of the world’s most vulnerable people from the deadly effects of coronavirus.

“Clean water and healthcare in refugee camps are essential in containing coronavirus in the developing world – helping stop the spread of the pandemic and protecting the UK from further waves of infection.”

The Disaster Emergency Committee’s 14 member charities are: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.