Star Wars actor kick-starts Syria fundraising campaign

British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed is on his way to raising $100,000 for Syria.

The London-born Star Wars and Four Lions actor kick-started a fundraising campaign encouraging his fans to donate $10 to Syria and tell ten of their friends to do the same.

Those who contribute and use the hashtag #10for10 on social media are then entered into a prize draw.

"You might have seen the intense suffering that's taken place in Aleppo in Syria right now, so many families and civilians caught up in that brutal civil war. It's easy to feel helpless but the fact is we're not," he said in a video message to his fans posted on his Twitter page.

"If 2016's taught us anything it's that when people really care about something they can come together and make a massive unexpected impact."

In just over two weeks, the campaign has raised more than $77,000.

In return for cash, where $10 buys a heater, $40 buys a food basket and $50 buys four sleeping mats, donors can win prizes such as signed Star Wars memorabilia or the tuxedo Ahmed wore to the Golden Globes.

His campaign has also attracted celebrity support, including from Egyptian-born Mr Robot star Rami Malek.