DEC, Red Cross and Save the Children Middle East Humanitarian Appeal

Update in April 2026: eargus O’Connor writes:

“The current war in the Middle East has devastated lives across the region. Among those countries most directly affected are Iran, the Gulf States and Israel but in the wider region, millions of vulnerable individuals have fled their homes in search of safety. Unitarians and all people of faith are called to respond when human dignity is under threat. If you wish to honour our 2026 General Assembly Peace Resolution advocating an urgent humanitarian response to the suffering of victims of the war in the Middle East, please consider giving a donation to the Red Cross or Save the Children as follows:

• Save the Children UK – information about how to donate online, by phone or post can be found here: Donate Today
• British Red Cross – donation information here: Donate Today

Thanks to everyone who donated to this on Sunday 26th April, we received £40 which has been split between Save the Children and the Red Cross Middle East Appeal.

In August 2025: Following our retiring collection after last Sunday’s ‘The Golden Rule’ service (video coming soon), we have donated £40 to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal (Disasters Emergency Committee). Thanks to all who have given. If you would like to donate, here’s the link: Middle East Humanitarian Appeal

Here is a summary of the ‘Golden Rule Resolution’, adopted at the April 2025 Annual Meeting of UK Unitarians and Free Christians:

“Reaffirming our commitment to the spiritual ethic of the Golden Rule, proclaimed by the world’s great religions and inspiring the Charter for Compassion… this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, acting in this compassionate spirit and that of the Unitarian Universalist Association Seventh Principle of ‘respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part’:

• expresses its full solidarity with the humanitarian lifesaving work of the UN Relief and Works Agency, providing essential medical aid, educational facilities and shelter to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,
• encourages timely support of Disasters Emergency Committee emergency appeals,
• and encourages Unitarian congregations, Districts and concerned individuals to honour our 2024 GA Annual Meetings Resolution 6 on Gaza by supporting the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal of the British Red Cross for urgent medical and other humanitarian aid to the suffering people of Gaza.”

You can find more details of this here: GA 2025 Annual Resolutions (PDF download).