THE response of the British people to the Asian tsunami disaster has been astonishing - and this generosity has been echoed in York and North Yorkshire.

Today, a new focus has been given to people who wish to support those whose lives have been devastated by the biggest natural disaster in living memory.

Readers of the Evening Press can channel their donations through York Aid, a massive charity appeal set up by City of York Council and this newspaper.

With the death toll expected to rise to at least 150,000, and with millions of people needing urgent help in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, now is the time to respond to this great need. More and more money will be required to ease the present crisis and to help in re-building for the future.

Civic, business, religious and sporting leaders across the city are supporting York Aid, and donations are already coming in from social clubs and public collections.

Whenever important causes have arisen in the past, readers of this newspaper have been magnificent in their response. While previous charity appeals have been for local causes, this appeal should still remain close to people's hearts.

Thanks to the ease and popularity of travel, the world is becoming smaller. Places once far flung are now familiar through holidays abroad. Also, the sobering but superb coverage of the tsunami disaster on television and in newspapers is bringing home the almost unbelievable suffering.

Rarely can the need to give generously have been so great.

Updated: 09:47 Tuesday, January 04, 2005