In the UK, people wishing to support the Haiti Earthquake Appeal are asked to do so directly through the Disasters Emergency Committee, a consortium of 13 humanitarian aid agencies including Save The Children.

Donating to the DEC, which is also involved in relief efforts in Gaza and Congo, will ensure your submissions go to where they are most needed. Updating this entry on April 14, I note that nearly £100m has been raised in the UK alone, a staggering £12m of which poured in within 24 hours of the launch of the DEC’s publicity campaign fronted by leading activists including British actor John Hurt.

Writers and bloggers can help by steering donations toward the DEC. Check for updates by following @decappeal on Twitter or friend the DEC on Facebook.

The rescue of aid worker Danielle Trépanier after almost a day under the rubble of a collapsed staff-house in Haiti is symbolic of the hope that remains of saving other people in the 72 hours following the catastrophic earthquake.

Trépanier, a Canadian logistician-administrator with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), had fallen through two floors of her building and landed in the basement, before being freed from a heap of debris by local workers risking their own safety.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has treated more than 1,000 quake victims at temporary tented facilities. Its three medical centres were destroyed and time is rapidly running out for hundreds of other seriously injured people.

The need for wound treatment and major surgery is overwhelming, according to MSF, which is sending out a 100 bed inflatable hospital consisting of two operating theatres and seven hospitalisation tents as well as an extra 80 staff and further supplies. You can donate to the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Haiti Appeal by following this link.

Also of concern has been the control of infectious diseases and diarrhoea, a major challenge in a country that had poor infrastructure and healthcare before the quake struck. The problem is compounded by the number of corpses left to rot in the streets.

• To make a postal donation, write out your cheques to ˜DEC Haiti Earthquake” and mail to “PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA”.
• Donations can be made at any high street bank, or at a Post Office by quoting Freepay 1449.
• The DEC brings together 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 following video has been published by the Red Cross.

Tags: appeal, DEC, Disasters Emergency Committee, earthquake, Haiti, quake
Categories: news

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 6.00 pm and is filed under news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.