A video which sees Daniel Craig appeal for donations to support the millions who have been affected by the catastrophic earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria is to air across 29 UK channels.
The 90-second film in aid of the non-governmental organisation the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) will be broadcast on Friday at 9.55pm on channels including Channel 4, ITV 1 and Channel 5, as well as on large digital screens throughout the country.
Alongside footage of the devastation following the February 6 quake, which has killed more than 47,000 people, the James Bond star encourages the public to donate what they can to help survivors.
Craig says: “Within hours, two earthquakes devasted homes, hospitals and schools across two countries. The earthquakes lasted seconds but the aftermath will last for years.
“The casualty figures for Turkey and Syria right now are staggering. More than 40,000 people have died.
“The big challenge ahead is to help the millions who have survived it. Countless injured need vital medicines or hospital care and those now homeless face the freezing winter without any shelter, food or clean water.”
The actor, 54, explained that the donations towards the DEC appeal will help provide more tents, warm clothes, heaters, hot meals, clean water and medical care to those affected.
He added: “Whatever you can manage, every penny will make a difference, so donate now. Their trauma cannot be undone but we can and must help.”
On Thursday, the DEC – which brings together 15 UK charities – announced it had raised £101.5 million since the deadly earthquakes struck earlier this month.
Thank you to @ITV for supporting our Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal
And thank you to Daniel Craig for presenting the appeal film
Please donate today to help DEC member charities on the ground reach more people in urgent need of assistance: https://t.co/wg81Cj5Nvx pic.twitter.com/2iYPCdMuhU
— DEC (@decappeal) February 9, 2023
Channel 4 brought together media organisations ITV, UKTV, Channel 5, Sky, STV and Warner Bros. Discovery to provide the advertising space for the DEC appeal.
They have also worked with media company Ocean Outdoor to broadcast the appeal video on their large digital screens in 18 locations including Westfield London, Canary Wharf, Liverpool Media Wall, New Street Birmingham and The Printworks, Manchester.
The video, which was produced without charge by the advertising agency Recipe, will also run on Channel 4’s YouTube page from Friday until Sunday.
The appeal is a shortened, updated version of an original film produced by ITN and shown on Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and Sky news programmes on February 9 to launch the DEC Turkey-Syria earthquake appeal.
Verica Djurdjevic, chief revenue officer at Channel 4, said: “Seeing the devastation of the earthquake, we wanted to use the power of a joint broadcaster and advertising initiative to help raise awareness for this important cause.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Recipe and the plethora of other media owners who have also offered their support through this project.”