Haiti Updates on emergency responses and recovery

29 Jan 2010

Haiti - Updates on emergency responses and recovery

VSI is not immediately active in the terrible earthquake disaster that has devestated the lives of some many people in Haiti. However, Dochas, the Irish network for organisations involvolved in overseas development have a useful update on Irish and other NGO's involved in trying to improve the situation of the people affected by the earthquake.

 

VSI is not directly involved in the relief work after the disastrous earthgquake which has devestated Haiti many other Irish NGO's are active on the ground. see below

Following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January, several Irish development NGOs are working to provide humanitarian assistance in the country, and have set up emergency responses: ActionAid Ireland, CBM Ireland, Christian Aid Ireland, Concern, Gorta, Irish Red Cross, Oxfam Ireland, Plan Ireland, Trócaire, World Vision Ireland, Goal, Habitat for Humanity, Haven, Médecins Sans Frontières, Progressio, Unicef Ireland. Latest report revealed over €12m raised from the Irish public so far (approximately €5.3m for Concern, €2.5m for Goal, €1.27m for the Irish Red Cross, ...).

 

▪ The HowYouCanHelp website and guide, which outlines the most appropriate ways to help those affected by overseas disaster, received over 50,000 hits in January. A briefing on the way aid agencies respond to emergencies, also recorded a high number of hits on the Dóchas website.

 

▪ Irish Aid responses: €600,000 in emergency funding to the United Nations; 85 tonnes of emergency supplies to Haiti; specialist emergency team deployed to Haiti. More information available on the Irish Aid website

 

▪ The situation in Haiti and the coordination of European aid has been added to the agenda of the informal European summit to be held on 11 February in Brussels. The intention is to discuss how the EU can best contribute to improving the situation in Haiti and how after the emergency help, the EU can give support to reconstruction.

 

▪ In response to public pressure the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reportedly issued a statement claiming they will try to turn the $100-million loan to Haiti into a grant. Over 20,000 people joined a Facebook group, 'No Shock Doctrine for Haiti' in about a week, criticising the IMF for extending a conditional loan instead of offering grants to Haiti.