The families of the 22 people killed in a terrorist attack at an Ariane Grande concert in Manchester three months ago will each receive $324,000 (£250,000) from money donated by members of the public.
The money will come from the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, set up in the wake of the attack by ISIS sympathizer Salman Abedi on 22 May, which has so far raised more than $23 million.
“The payments will ensure the families benefit from the phenomenal outpouring of public support following the attack,” the fund said in a press release.
“The city and the world responded with such extreme kindness, generosity and solidarity in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack,” said Councillor Sue Murphy, chair of the trustees of the fund.
“Thanks to this we have raised more than £18 million ($23 million) and we were conscious that we had to get some of swiftly this to those with immediate needs.”
Around a around third of the total collected has gone to the bereaved families and $4.5 million to those who were hospitalized after the attack.
“We will now spend some time looking at how we will distribute the rest of the funds. This will be a complex and sensitive process as we will need to assess the long-term impacts of the attack,” said Murphy.
Among those to have raised funds are the singer Grande who returned to Manchester in June for a benefit concert.
The swift transfer of donations to the victims by the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund contrasts starkly with the management of a similar amount of money collected for the victims of Grenfell Tower fire in London who were left homeless as well as bereaved.
Data released by the UK Charity Commission Monday shows Grenfell residents and those directly affected by the tragedy have received only $4.5 million of the $24.5 million raised, nearly two months on.
