A CHARITY advocate who avoided Wednesday’s catastrophe by days said she is proud to be a Londoner.

Huda Ali, had been meeting at Parliament Square on Monday and Tuesday this week attending the Bond Conference discussing international development.

The Masters student said: “My first reaction, was that I felt really scared by what happened.

“It could have happened when I was there, it could have happened to anyone.

“It made me feel proud to be a Londoner where people stand together as a community in the face adversity.”

The 25-year-old is working as for Islamic Relief to raise awareness for the East Africa Crisis Appeal while studying for her masters in international politics and human rights at City University Huda was born in Haringey and brought up as a Muslim to Somalian parents and is inspired by her heritage to raise awareness of the crisis happening in that country.

According to Islamic Relief UK, more than 800,000 children under five across Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya are severely acutely malnourished.

The student uses social media to raise awareness and organising community fundraising events the crisis happening in that country.

She said: “Unfortunately this is not getting the dire attention it needs or deserves in the mainstream media.

“This is a humanitarian crisis, and I would urge people to think no differently of the people affected in East Africa than anyone else, because they did not ask for the situation.

“There is a lot of focus right now on President Trump, but this crisis will kill more people than Trump ever will.”

Huda hopes to continue her career working in advocacy and hopes one day to work with the United Nations.

She has visited her family living in Somalia when she was 11, but has not been able to visit again, though she hopes one day to return to the country.

She added: “I feel strong emotion at seeing the suffering of my compatriots which in turn makes me determined to redouble my own individual efforts to assist in any way I can.

“With Islamic Relief, this is possible in volunteering first-hand in the fundraising projects aimed to raise money for people in East Africa.

“I hope that the appeal will resonate deeply with the British people, who have donated great amounts in several campaigns over the years.”

Islamic Relief UK launched an appeal this week in conjunction with the Disasters Emergency Committee.

DEC member charities are already on the ground delivering life-saving aid, such as food, treatment for malnutrition and clean drinking water.

The UK Government will match pound for pound the first £5 million donated by the public to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal.

For more information or to donate, visit www.dec.org.uk .