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Newry and Mourne Council calls on BBC to broadcast gaza appeal.

Published: 27 January, 2009

Sinn Féin Council Leader Brendan Curran has welcomed the successful passing of a motion at Newry and Mourne Council on Monday night calling for the BBC and Sky to allow an appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee to be aired.

Cllr. Curran said,

"There is currently a huge humanitarian crisis in Gaza, hospitals have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people are living without access to water or electricity.The need for charitable aid in Gaza is huge.

"For the past 45 years the leading international charities operating under the alliance of the DEC have shown themselves well able to deliver aid in areas of crisis around the world in an effective and non-partisan way"

"It is a disgrace that the DEC's appeal which would have raised much needed money to help rebuild the Gaza strip was banned from these two stations."

"The DEC is an umbrella group for charities such as Action Aid, the Red Cross, Cafod, Care International UK, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Save the Children and Tearfund. Newry and Mourne District Council has now sent as message of support for this group and is calling for the BBC and Sky to review their decision."