HAITI update – 3 months after the disaster

SolidTrust Pay and its’ members donated well over $3000 to Haiti relief. That amount was matched by the Canadian government and occasional donations from members are still arriving. Here is an update from the Red Cross on the Haitian situation as they work diligently to carry on with relief efforts there. Once again – a huge THANK YOU to all members who donated funds via SolidTrust Pay.

A letter from Richard Clair, Country Representative for Haiti

Dear Friends,

As our important mission to Haiti continues, it is my pleasure to provide you with this personal update of our progress in the field. It has been nearly three months since the tragic earthquake on January 12 and although we are making progress, much remains to be done.

My first impression upon arriving to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was the immense scale of the destruction. The crushed cars, toppled buildings, and rubble everywhere – the damage was staggering. In talking to Haitians in the devastated communities and improvised camps, it quickly became apparent that they had lost everything, including loved ones.

As we continue to respond during this emergency phase, the Canadian Red Cross has reached over 30,000 people with relief items, including tents, kitchen set, and hygiene kits. We are part of the overall International Red Cross effort that has reached over the 275,000 Haitians with relief items to date! However, even with the unrelenting need for urgent relief items, the Canadian Red Cross is now focussed on providing 15,000 transitional temporary shelters to thousands of families left homeless by the disaster. We will manage the implementation of half the shelters and the other half will be administered by the International Federation of the Red Cross. With the hurricane season approaching, we have begun working diligently with our partners, including the Haitian Red Cross, to implement our ambitious shelter programme.

“A few weeks ago, I visited a small community in Jacmel and noticed a small baby lying on a bed in a house that was severely damaged by the earthquake. The house looked as though a small aftershock could have collapsed it. The family had received a Canadian Red Cross tent as emergency shelter – but we must work as quickly and safely as possible to provide them with a more robust temporary shelter to help them rebuild their shattered communities. With the help of the Haitian Red Cross, we hope to provide several thousand transitional shelters in the coming months.

As you can see, your donation is making a real difference to the lives of the people of Haiti. You have my sincere appreciation for your kind support of the Canadian Red Cross as we help them rebuild in the years to come. I look forward to providing you with future updates on our important work in Haiti. For more information about our immediate and long-term response in Haiti, I encourage you to visit http://www.redcross.ca/haiti2010 “

Again, Thank you to those that donated!

SolidTrust Pay Customer Service

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