UK charity rallies for stricken Haiti

13/01/2010

Help on its way after major earthquake

By Laura Kelly

UK charity Oxfam says it is poised to help the people of Haiti after a massive earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation.

The quake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, hit the island on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN HQ and other buildings.

There are fears that thousands have been killed.

Humanitarian Director of Oxfam Jane Cocking said: “At this stage it is too early to tell the severity of the earthquake in Haiti, but the early signs are not good, with communications down across the country.

“Oxfam has its emergency response team for Latin America based in Haiti so we are well prepared, with a public health, water and sanitation team in Port-au-Prince ready to respond. We also have emergency supplies in Panama that we are preparing to send in as soon as possible."

Cocking added that the level of poverty already faced in Haiti makes this a particularly bad blow. “Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere where 85 per cent of people already live in poverty. Given the desperate needs that people face on a day-to-day basis, this earthquake is grim news for the poor people of Haiti.”

The earthquake is the worst to hit the island in two centuries and Kristie van de Wetering, a former Oxfam employee still based in Port-au-Prince, described the situation as “very chaotic with houses in rubble everywhere”.

She added: “There is a blanket of dust rising from the valley south of the capital. We can hear people calling for help from every corner. The aftershocks are ongoing and making people very nervous.”

To donate to Oxfam's Haiti relief effort go to: www.oxfam.org.uk/haiti