The Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal to support people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has passed £150m.
The DEC said the appeal, which was launched in the wake of the massive earthquakes that struck the region in February, had become the third largest in its 60-year history.
The appeal has raised £151.8m so far, including £5m in match-funding from the UK government.
The largest DEC appeal raised £600m after the Boxing Day tsunami disaster in 2004 and its appeal to support people affected by the war in Ukraine raised £400m.
About 60,000 people died as a result of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and an estimated 1.5 million were left homeless.
The DEC, which brings together 15 major UK charities to deliver emergency humanitarian projects overseas, said almost half of aid expenditure in the first three months went on providing cash payments to more than 40,000 families that were most in need.
“Making direct payments via cash or vouchers is a very efficient way of delivering aid when local markets are functioning, reducing transport and administration costs and allowing people to choose how best to meet their personal needs,” the DEC said.
It also said that over the same period, 427,000 people had been provided with access to safe drinking water, 201,000 received emergency food or a voucher for food and more than 48,200 had accessed health services such as mobile clinics, medical kits and free medication.
The DEC said 14 of its member organisations would receive funds from the appeal, including the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.
Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, recently returned from a visit to DEC-funded projects in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.
“DEC charities are working tirelessly to help people cope and make life more comfortable,” he said.
“From mobile physiotherapy clinics helping people recover from their injuries to psychological support for children, to providing hygiene and sanitation to avoid the spread of deadly diseases – this is vital, life-changing help.
“It’s clear that it will be a very long road to recovery from this terrible disaster, but we met so many people in Turkey who wanted us to thank the British public and all who have supported them through the DEC.”