Helensburgh's £7,200 for Haiti

Published 27 May 2010 12:40

Vital aid continues to be delivered to the survivors of the Haiti earthquake thanks in part to the generous response of the people of Helensburgh.

Money donated to SCIAF is providing tents, blankets and tarpaulins for shelter and fortnightly food rations of lentils, oil and high protein bulgar wheat to the most vulnerable among the many thousands of people living in temporary camps.

In the weeks following the disaster the people of Helensburgh gave over £7,200 to support the SCIAF Haiti Earthquake Appeal. Over £1,144,000 was donated across Scotland to support SCIAF's emergency response including £75,000 from the Scottish Government.

When the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12 over 230,000 people were killed and over one million left homeless. SCIAF's partner on the ground, Caritas Haiti (part of the global network of Catholic aid agencies Caritas Internationalis), was able to quickly distribute food and water from existing stocks in and around the capital Port-au-Prince.

Three operating theatres were repaired in a major hospital and six mobile clinics provided to care for the injured.

Within the first six weeks the Caritas programme had distributed food to 598,800 people in camps, hygiene kits to 46,900 people, family tents to 2,720, emergency shelter materials to 63,700 people and medical care to over 33,500 was also provided.

Now that the world's media has left Haiti, SCIAF will continue to provide immediate aid and long term support to help the people of Haiti make a full recovery.

SCIAF's Chief Executive Paul Chitnis said: "I would like to thank the generous people of Helensburgh for helping SCIAF to provide practical aid to many thousands of people left injured, homeless and in need following the devastating earthquake which destroyed large parts of Haiti in January.

"We will do everything possible to help Haitians rebuild their lives and move on from this terrible tragedy.

"Rebuilding homes, schools and hospitals will enable Haiti to live again. Tools, livestock and training will also be given to farmers to help them earn a living and boost local food production, a vital aspect for the country's sustainable development.

"Cash-for-work programmes are already helping people to recover. By paying people living in the camps to do vital work like building latrines, our cash-for-work projects allow people to get back on their feet, pay for essentials and help improve the living conditions in the camps.

"The generosity of people across Scotland is ensuring that SCIAF is able to work with the people of Haiti so they can make a full recovery and move on from the terrible loss, pain and suffering they have endured."

* Donate to SCIAF's Haiti Earthquake Appeal online at www.sciaf.org.uk or call 0141 354 5555.

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This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 27 May 10

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