http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/15666215?source=Evening%20Standard&ct=5Britons moved by the plight of a million children left orphaned or homeless by the Asian tsunami have donated £23 million in 24 hours.
The money is still pouring into the main appeal for disaster relief after the first televised appeal, and the amount is expected to keep growing. The figure has already set a new record for donations and was described as "humbling" by the head of the appeal committee.
The sum raised by the British public has rocketed past the £15 million in aid announced by the Government. The United Nations has estimated £1billion is needed immediately to prevent further loss of life through disease or starvation. The biggest relief operation in history has swung into operation, with flights arriving from across the world with water and water purification equipment, blankets and medicine.
Scenes of children clinging to life in the aftermath of the tidal wave have prompted the massive scale of donations, with charities reporting British children sending their Christmas money to the fund. An Oxfam spokesman said: "People have been phoning in tears