After three weeks of intense fighting and the loss of thousands of civilian lives, a Gaza ceasefire was finally agreed on the 18 January. Now the fighting has stopped, life-saving supplies are desperately needed, hospitals need to get up and running again, and people – whose water has been cut off during the bombing – are in dire need of clean drinking water.
Many aid organisations – including British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, and Save the Children – have together launched an appeal
However, for the first time in more than 40 years, the BBC has REFUSED TO RUN THE APPEAL on TV – effectively meaning that appeal will fail to raise the money needed to save people’s lives.
No matter what your views of who’s responsible for the fighting, one thing is clear – people are in dire need of our help, and without the BBC’s help, the appeal will not raise as much as it should.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP?
1. File a complaint on the BBC website:
BBC – Complaints – Make a complaint
2. Have your say on BBC decision (scroll to end to post a message)
BBC NEWS | UK | Pressure still on BBC in Gaza row
3. Donate to the appeal
https://www.donate.bt.com/bt_form_gaza.html
Template letter you might want to use:
Just copy and paste and if you would like to add some thing then please do so…
*BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL*
I am outraged and utterly disappointed after learning that BBC corporation has refused to broadcast a national humanitarian appeal for Gaza, leaving aid agencies with a potential shortfall of millions of pounds in donations. Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), is an umbrella organization for 13 aid charities and with the level of suffering and humanitarians crisis on the Gaza strip BBC should alter their policy to help raise money and goods for the people of Gaza. The DEC has no political affiliation and is driven by the principles of the Geneva conventions in terms of impartiality and neutrality. Due to this decision all broadcasters have refused to carry the appeal and this is hampering the efforts of the DEC. I sincerely hope that BBC will reconsider this decision other wise this will leave the aid agencies with a potential shortfall of millions of pounds in donations. Please for the sake of humanity give DEC the necessary Air time needed to appeal to your viewers. Thank you
Link to the complaint section (same as the one posted on the front page of the group)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
What people are saying about this decision by the BBC:
Daily Mail
The Green Party
BBC Blog
The Times
The Guardian
