Daily increases in donations received ensures aid is being delivered directly to people in Haiti

Press release 22 January 2010

One week since the first Disasters Emergency Committee broadcast appeal, the DEC Haiti Earthquake appeal has increased to £42 million in donations counted so far. This is a £4 million increase since yesterday. This sustained giving by the UK public each day has ensured that vital aid is being delivered directly to people in Haiti through DEC member agencies.

Brendan Gormley, Chief Executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee commented:

“Just over one week from the earthquake that hit Haiti, the remarkable generosity of the UK public has continued to make possible the vital work that is being done by our member agencies on the ground in Haiti. More and more water, food, household items and medical supplies are getting through to the earthquake survivors.

“These generous donations will not only greatly aid our immediate work, but also help us work with survivors to rebuild new lives from the ruins.”

Since our last update, DEC member agencies work has included:

Action Aid
Yesterday ActionAid Haiti began distributing over 200 tonnes of food – enough for 9,000 people to last two weeks. The food items is being supplied to people in two camps in Marianni and consists of:

  • 1300 Bags of Rice 25kg
  • 350 Jerry Can (5 gal)
  • 900 Bags of Raw Sugar 50kg
  • 1500 Bags of Flour 50kg
  • 500 cases of Salmon
  • 2500 Bags of Corn 25Kg

Cafod (Caritas)
Survivors in the Haitian city of Léogâne received blankets, water purification tablets, tents and tarpaulins from Cafod’s partner charity Caritas. At least 30 tonnes of aid arrived from Germany by plane in Port-au-Prince. This was unloaded with the help of 50 parish volunteers and trucked it to Léogâne.

Help the Age & Help Age International
HelpAge hired a bus full of supplies and drove it from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince. The supplies delivered included rice, sugar, cornmeal, corned beef, sardines, water, juices, snacks, tarpaulin, tents, cup soups, biscuits, cooking oil, and adult diapers. They have distributed the supplies to 400 families through HelpAge’s local partners CARPA and SHAA.

There are currently 329 temporary living camps in Port au Prince. HelpAge is currently working in ten of them, including the one at the Municipal nursing home to assess the needs of older people.

Merlin
Merlin has set up a field hospital in Delmas 33, where surgeons are performing on average 15 operations a day and treating over 80 first aid and triage cases. The priority is to salvage limbs, which have become infected. The team is also concentrating on treating and preventing communicable diseases and reproductive health.

Health experts are currently carrying out assessments in Jacmel, Carrefour, Petit-Goave and Croix de Bouquet.

Oxfam
Oxfam is starting to work in seven sites across the Haitian capital targeting 92,000 people with life-saving aid – clean water, safe sanitation, hygiene kits and plastic sheeting for temporary shelters.

Fifty tonnes of aid equipment, packed up at Oxfam’s warehouse, will be flown out this afternoon to boost this humanitarian effort further.

The aid - including tools, wheelbarrows, latrine slabs and water tanks will be flown to the Dominican Republic and will then go by truck to Haiti.

World Vision
Yesterday World Vision opened two centres for children in the Haiti-Dominican Republic border town of Jimani. The centres provide safe places for children to seek protection and care during the aftermath of the earthquake.

So far, World Vision has reached 10,000 people with supplies including food, blankets, collapsible water containers, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water, clothing and tarpaulins.

Distributions also continue today to local hospitals and medical clinics, specifically treating quake victims for free. A mobile clinic, with capacity to help about 100 people a day, has also been set up to treat minor injuries.

World Vision is partnering with a local restaurant to prepare and distribute hot meals to earthquake survivors. Food will be provided by World Vision and the restaurant will do the rest.

To make a donation to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 900, donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank, or send a cheque made payable to ‘DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal’ to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA’.

Anyone wanting to stay up to date with developments in Haiti, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts can follow the DEC on twitter at http://twitter.com/decappeal or become a fan of ‘Disasters-Emergency-Committee-DEC’ on Facebook.

- Ends -
Notes to editors:

  • To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal’ and mail to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3A
  • Donations can be made at any high street bank, or at a Post Office by quoting Freepay 1449.
  • Text “GIVE” to 70077 to give £5 to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal. £5 goes to the DEC. You pay £5 plus the standard network SMS rate.
  • The DEC consists of: Action Aid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund, World Vision.
  • The DEC criteria to launch an appeal are: The disaster must be on such a scale and of such urgency as to call for swift International humanitarian assistance. The DEC agencies, or some of them, must be in a position to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national Appeal. There must be reasonable grounds for concluding that a public appeal would be successful, either because of evidence of existing public sympathy for the humanitarian situation or because there is a compelling case indicating the likelihood of significant public support should an appeal be launched.