Kind hearted people in Croydon have donated more than £79,000 to an appeal launched to get aid to people in Gaza.

Their donation of £79,200 is just part of the £8m given by people across the United Kingdom in the five days since the appeal was launched.

This will allow the member agencies of the Disasters Emergency Committee to get food, clean water, emergency shelter and medical treatment to residents of the war torn area more quickly.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: “The incredible generosity of the British public is enabling our agencies to substantially step up their response, particularly during this moment of relative peace.

“Aid is getting through, with our staff and partners on the ground working tirelessly to provide urgent assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza in desperate need.

“However, the situation remains desperate.

“More than 100,000 people have had their homes severely damaged or even completely destroyed.

“Hospitals and medical teams are operating under immense strain as they try to respond to the vast number of people in need of medical care.

“Over 10,000 people have been injured, nearly a third of them children.

“Inevitably, as other high profile events in the world draw the cameras elsewhere, media interest has decreased in the Gaza crisis, but the need is still very much there and we urge people to give as much as they can.”

Members of the DEC include Oxfam, British Red Cross, Islamic Relief and CAFOD.