This week the Daily Mail sent Liz Jones to cover the famine in East Africa. To highlight the sheer crassness of sending someone with such fundamental first world problems I started the @LizJonesSomalia Twitter feed.

 

The account has been an unprecedented success, raising over £20,000 in just 2 and a half days! Thank you to everyone who has taken part so far.

 

Let's keep going. £26,000 will buy a luxury bat sanctuary, and I think we all know how much East Africa needs that right now.

 

Thanks again!

 

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All week we've all had a laugh, we've made fun of Liz Jones and criticised the hell out of her - and we can now make this experience about something more than just a snarky Twitter feed and save some lives, and in the process stick it to a newspaper that thinks Twitter is just for telling people what you had for breakfast.

 

So come on - chuck in £2 for a good cause, or £5, or £10. All money goes directly to the DEC East Africa fund. It's easy, safe and, should you wish, anonymous. Let's turn all the jokes about famines into something positive.

 

Besides, isn't there something perversely brilliant about Liz Jones being sent to Somalia inspiring a charity drive in opposition to her? If that doesn't send her a message about her value as a journalist then nothing will.

 

Full statement.