THE BBC has been accused of “blocking” a major humanitarian appeal for Gaza as it has been revealed the broadcaster has “delayed” the launch of a campaign.
The campaign by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) reportedly didn’t meet all the established criteria for a national appeal according to the BBC as the possibility of broadcasting it was “under review”.
All other channels have agreed to broadcast the appeal, the Guardian has reported.
Insiders at the DEC, the BBC and aid agencies told the news agency they were dismayed at the delay with some accusing the broadcaster of “blocking” the appeal because of fears over a backlash from Israel supporters.
The DEC is an umbrella organisation of 15 leading UK aid charities that helps raise funds for humanitarian disasters and it publicises its appeals through broadcasts on major networks and adverts in the press.
Established in 1963, it has launched 77 appeals and raised £2.2bn in aid. In 2022 its appeal for Ukraine raised £426m.
The DEC has three key points of criteria for launching an appeal.
The scale and urgency of the disaster must merit swift international humanitarian assistance and agencies must be able “to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national appeal”.
There must also be “evidence of existing public sympathy for the humanitarian situation” or “the likelihood of significant public support should an appeal be launched”.
It has been reported that the second criteria, the delivery of aid, is the focus of discussions which has caused the delay.
The DEC uses a “rapid response network” of “key media and corporate partners who help us launch our emergency appeals at very short notice, getting the message out and making it easy for the UK public to donate quickly and seamlessly”.
This rapid response network includes all the main national broadcasters.
A spokesperson for the DEC said: “The DEC and our stakeholders are deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza ... The volatile situation in the region, as well as the complex issues around aid access, pose a huge challenge when reviewing our criteria for an appeal.
“The DEC’s role is to launch a national appeal with our broadcast partners at a time that will raise the most money and deliver swift effective aid to as many people as possible. We are ready to act when the moment is right.”
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “We are keeping the possibility of a pan-broadcaster appeal under review.”
The BBC also requires the DEC appeal to meet its rules on impartiality, with the assessment made only after meeting the three criteria.
Since the war in Gaza began last October, more than 40,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, with the majority of them being civilians.
Almost 2 million people have been displaced and the war has caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, water and medicines all running extremely low, according to the UN.
