Millions of pounds pledged to Haiti quake relief campaigns

Millions of pounds pledged to Haiti quake relief campaigns

News (International, UK)

Oxfam GB has pledged a package of between £2m and £4m in emergency aid after Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti which is thought to have killed tens of thousands of people and left an estimated three million in need of emergency aid. Spokesperson Ian Bray said it is too early to tell the scale of the disaster but they had ear-marked up to £4m. They already have 100 people in the area, dealing with the aftermath of the 2008 hurricanes and will be sending special emergency relief workers to join them. Bray said donations of money, above anything else, would help most in relief efforts. “Money is the most flexible resource and therefore the most useful.”

The British Red Cross has released nearly a quarter of a million pounds from its disaster fund to ensure immediate help is given to victims of the Haiti disaster. A plane carrying over 5,000 blankets, 1,100 hygiene kits and 900 kitchen sets have been sent to the people on the island, many of whom have been made homeless. British Red Cross staff and volunteers are on the scene, and emergency stocks have been released within Haiti and from other warehouses in the region. A group of experts in disaster response, emergency healthcare and logistics, sent by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, have also been dispatched.

ShelterBox  has sent 700 ShelterBoxes, costing £490 each, with more to be packed before the end of the week by their team who are working round the clock. Each box supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. A three-person ShelterBox Response Team comprised of highly-experienced members David Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and Mark Pearson (UK) have also been dispatched to Haiti.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, (DEC)which launches and co-ordinates national fundraising appeals for public donations on behalf of its member agencies, announced that radio and television broadcasts today (Friday 15th January) will appeal for donations to help those affected by the huge earthquake that devastated the capital of Haiti. Actor John Hurt and presenter Kirsty Young will front appeals asking for help for the impoverished nation struck by the quake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. John Hurt said, “This is a huge tragedy that has affected millions of people living in one of the poorest nations in the world."

Announcing the broadcast appeal, DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley said, “This huge quake has ripped apart the lives of millions of people in one of the poorest nations of the world. It is clear after the immediate rescue attempt is completed we will be left with ongoing humanitarian challenges. DEC member agencies and their partners are responding but face terrible suffering.”

The U.N. and other agencies that would have been at the forefront of efforts to bring relief are among those that have been badly affected by the quake.

The UK Government has also announced a £6m package to help ‘kick-start’ humanitarian relief in Haiti. British search and rescue workers are heading to the stricken comprising a four-man team from the UK Government and 71 rescue specialists with dogs and heavy equipment.

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