More than £2 million has been pledged since the Disasters Emergency Committee's Darfur and Chad Crisis Appeal was launched on 24 May.

Donations have been rushing in to fund the work of international aid agencies, including the British Red Cross, who are responding in Darfur, Chad and the Central African Republic, where 4.5 million people are affected by the ongoing conflicts.

Fame Academy presenter Claudia Winkleman, who answered phones at the BT tower as the appeal was launched, said: "The appeal is off to a fantastic start, raising £2 million on the first night. The British public have already shown great compassion for those affected by this crisis and have responded with tremendous generosity. What is going on in Darfur and Chad is a humanitarian disaster and it has to be stopped."

Please continue giving generously so we can save more lives.

Brendan Gormley, Disasters Emergency Committee 

Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) chief executive Brendan Gormley, said: "I have been moved by the outpouring of generosity from the British public. DEC agencies are doing all we can to respond to real human suffering on the ground right now and need to scale up our response before the rains arrive. Please continue giving generously so we can save more lives."

Generous 

The average donation is £50 – enough to buy 100 chlorine tablets, which will provide clean safe drinking water for 5,000 people or 21 mosquito nets that will protect more than 60 children and their parents from malaria.

Looming rains are increasing the risk of deadly conditions like diarrhoea and malaria, especially for children, pregnant mothers and the elderly.

Donations can be made via the DEC website – www.dec.org.uk, by calling the 24-hour donations phone line – 0870 60 60 900 – and by cheques to PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA. Donations can also be made at high street banks and post offices.