Why Britons are still ready to answer a desperate call for help

The Deputy Prime Minister's stinging criticism came amid news that

nearly a quarter of all aid sent to the stricken country came from the UK. The British Government has now pledged 64m of aid which is being given to charities Save The Children, Concern and Oxfam to provide survivors with emergency care, clean water, food and shelter.

Despite such generosity, the response to the worst floods in Pakistan's history was initially lower than that in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake earlier this year. Some commentators questioned whether people were suffering from donor fatigue, while concerns were also raised about whether money might end up in the hands of militant groups, rather than the victims who need it. But by the end of August the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said the British public had given 40m to help the victims of the Pakistan floods, soaring from 9.5m in the first week to an unprecedented 19.3m in the third week. Usually, donations spike sharply in the first seven days after appeals are broadcast, and then drop significantly in the following weeks. All of which suggests that even at a time when everyone is looking to tighten their belts, we are still compelled to respond to cries for help around the globe.

This is supported by a new study, published today, which says the UK and Ireland are among the top 10 most charitable countries in the world. The research also found that happier people were more likely to give money to charity than those who were wealthy.

The Charities Aid Foundation's World Giving Index, which monitors the charitable behaviour of people from 153 countries, found that Ireland came joint third with Canada, while the UK tied in eighth place with Sri Lanka.

Those questioned were asked whether they had given money to charity, or helped a stranger in the last month and researchers found adults in the UK were the third most generous in terms of giving money, with 73 per cent of the population having donated to charity.

In a separate study, conducted by the Institute of Development Studies, more than six out of 10 Britons said they believed it was morally right for the UK to help developing countries. The results are published today in Aid To Developing Countries: Where Does The UK Public Stand? and Professor Lawrence Haddad, the institute's director, says they make welcome reading.

"It is encouraging that, even in times of austerity, the majority of people say we have a moral obligation to help the poor in the world. The concerning finding from our survey is that many respondents believe aid is wasted. Yet our research has consistently demonstrated that aid really does make an enormous difference to poor people." He also said that development charities and the Government need to take a fresh approach to engaging with the public about aid.

There is no doubt, though, that as a nation we Britons are incredibly generous, something borne out by the fact that time and again we dig deep into our pockets to help those in need. But Peter Sweetnam, a relief charity consultant, says some charities do better than others when times are tough.

"Traditionally, the UK population responds well to major disasters, although some charities dealing with less popular issues are struggling more than others. The Holy Grail for charities is getting more younger, affluent people to donate because we hear a lot about 'givers' getting older and although charity donations are holding up, they aren't holding up right across the age ranges and socio-economic groups."

So is donor fatigue a genuine issue? "It is a real concern, although people do still give to the big mainstream charity funds and people are giving generously to the Pakistan flood relief fund. There is also an annual cycle and the closer we get to Christmas the more people tend to give."

The big, national charities are able to raise their profiles through prominent newspaper advertisements and TV appeals and are also better placed to encourage more people to make donations online.

But Mr Sweetnam says the key to how we react is down to how much we empathise with those affected by natural disasters. "One of the big factors that influence how people respond is the images that come into our living rooms through the TV – and the more they pull the heart strings, the more people are likely to give."