Donations to charities increased by as much as 30% during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by the Nederlandsch Dagblad (ND).

The Christian newspaper said that both numbers of donations and the size of the amounts were greater in 2020 than 2019. AZG, the Dutch branch of Médicins Sans Frontières, received 2% more donations and a higher average amount, while Stichting Vluchteling, which supports refugees, took in 30% extra.

Christian emergency aid organisations also received more individual donations than in the previous year, with Tearfund recording 4.8% more gifts and World Vision an extra 2.2%.

The ND said the figures were provisional because charities were still compiling their 2020 annual reports.