Food donations reach stricken quake survivors

Staff from Edinburgh-based Mercy Corps were today beginning to distribute nutrient-rich biscuits to nearly 5,000 earthquake-survivor patients and their families at General Hospital, the largest hospital in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The food is vital for patients at the hospital, with many families unable to provide for injured loved ones, and others left with no-one at all after last week's disaster.

How you can help: Donate via the mercy corps website at www.mercycorps.org.uk/haiti or by calling 0845 245 0686 between 8am and 8pm.

Mercy Corps volunteer Cassandra Nelson, who flew out over the weekend, was among those helping with the food distribution, organised in collaboration with Partners In Health, an American group which is providing medical care and supplies to the hospital.

She said that while the situation on the ground in the Haitian capital was improving, the food was still desperately needed.

"There are thousands of people at the hospital, and it has no facilities to provide them with food, as traditionally here the families of the sick will bring in food for them," she said.

"Many families simply cannot do that at the moment, while others have sadly lost everyone in the earthquake, so this is really desperately needed in order to help them survive and recover.

"Access to food has been one of the biggest problems here, and while the situation is improving, with some sellers back out on the streets, a lot of people can't get access to money to buy it. The electricity is out in many places and the devastation is still evident all around us."

The distribution comes just a day after Haiti was rocked by the biggest aftershock yet – a tremor measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck about 35 miles north west of Port-au-Prince, leading to widespread panic.

Ms Nelson said the aftershock had been "a terrifying wake-up call" for aid workers.

"We were all sleeping indoors when it happened and we just ran outside in our pyjamas," she said. "You could really feel it, and everyone was just wondering if it would get worse or die down."

Dr Brian Baptie, a seismologist at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, said the aftershock would have caused further structural damage to buildings.

"It's the largest of the aftershocks so far but there are likely to be more over the next two or three weeks," he said.

Officials believe the death toll from last week's earthquake, which measured 7 on the Richter scale, has now reached 200,000, with 250,000 injured and 1.5 million homeless.

Experts warned that the chances of finding more survivors were slim, with buried victims unlikely to last more than three days without water.

Aid agencies said they are still facing problems getting supplies to those in need amid ongoing fears that the desperation for food could erupt into further violence.

Mercy Corps' team of emergency response experts is currently on the ground assessing needs and working to meet them.

Spokesman Ross Hornsey said: "At the moment we are focusing first on the immediate humanitarian needs – for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more. However, we are also simultaneously laying the groundwork for longer-term recovery."

The Department for International Development said the UK would send a Royal Fleet Auxiliary supplies ship loaded with aid to help the relief operation.

RFA Largs Bay – due to sail before the end of the month – is expected to help the United Nations ferry bulk supplies around the stricken country.

Meanwhile, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said donations to its Haiti appeal had reached 31.5 million. The UK Government has pledged 20m.

'There is an excitement about making a difference'

ONLY two years ago he returned from Haiti having helped residents modernise their country – now he must start all over again.

Aid worker James Kelly, 24, from Leith, left the Capital yesterday morning bound for the disaster zone, hoping to make a difference to the thousands of people who need his help.

Speaking before he left, Mr Kelly, a student at Edinburgh University, said: "I couldn't say I am nervous as such about going, as I feel I am able to do this.

"There is a sort of excitement about hopefully making a difference."

Mr Kelly is expected to be put to work as soon as he steps off the plane.

As he is fluent in the native language of Creole, he will be needed immediately to help communication between earthquake victims and aid workers.

When he was last in Haiti, he helped develop its infrastructure, and is likely to be working on similar projects as well as teaching Creole to other volunteers and distributing aid.

But having only volunteered to go out with the humanitarian organisation GOAL on Sunday, the student – who is studying for a masters in community education at Moray House – has not had much time to prepare.

He said: "It's been very hectic."

www.goal-uk.org

Book sale to help victims

VICTIMS of the Haiti earthquake will be getting much-needed help thanks to eagle-eyed staff at a Capital charity shop and wizard author JK Rowling.

Staff at Oxfam's Nicolson Street bookshop were stunned when they found a donated first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Despite the book's fairly tatty condition, staff soon realised it was a valuable first edition.

It has now been auctioned at the Capital's Lyon and Turnbull auction house, selling for 920 to a mystery telephone bidder.

Store manager David Hendrie said:

"It's a truly magical figure for Oxfam to raise with one sale and it will be put to very good use helping Oxfam to carry out vital work around the world.

Oxfam is a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and all Oxfam stores are taking donations for the DEC's Haiti earthquake appeal.

You can also donate online at www.dec.org.uk