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UK Disaster Appeal To Help Earthquake Victims

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched an appeal to provide emergency aid to the people affected by the deadly magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Nepal.

The committee, which brings together 13 leading UK charities including the British Red Cross and Oxfam, has said 5.3 million people in the country have been affected by the quake which has left many thousands homeless.

Major cities, including the capital Kathmandu, have been left badly damaged and rural areas near the epicentre of the quake have been completely cut off by avalanches.

:: To donate click here , or call the 24-hour donation line on 0370 6060 900 or to donate £5 on your mobile phone text "SKY" to 70000

Nepal's prime minister Sushil Koirala has warned that the number of people killed in the earthquake on Saturday could reach 10,000 . The official death toll now stands at 5,057, with another 61 known to have died in India and 25 in Tibet.

DEC member agencies and partners are working urgently to provide shelters, food, clean water and blankets to affected areas.

The group will then work with individuals, families and communities to support people as they try to rebuild their lives.

British and Irish medical staff are among volunteers who have been dispatched to the worst-affected areas, including RAF personnel, firefighters from the UK International Search and Rescue Team and medics from charity Doctors Of The World.