Ramsbottom Online

ShelterBox Team on the Ground: ‘There is no More Haiti’

Aid workers for the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox, now the largest Rotary Club project in the world, are on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti. ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members Dave Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and Mark Pearson (UK) arrived in the island’s capital on Thursday, January 4 and have already been in contact with government officials, ACTED and Rotarians in the country.

The Response Team, who are completely self-sufficient, has set up base with the help of a Haitian Rotarian. Speaking from Port au Prince, David Eby said: ‘We’re working hard to resolve security, logistics and communications. The city is totally devastated. Our host told us, “There is no more Haiti.”’

The situation on the ground remains fraught with the damaged infrastructure in Haiti hampering the aid effort but ShelterBox is doing everything within its power to ensure aid reaches Haiti imminently. ShelterBox’s Head of Operations John Leach said: ‘We spoke with our team in Haiti this morning and already they’ve been working with other aid agencies and the government to assess where the ShelterBoxes are most needed. ‘Our priority is now getting logistics in and doing all we can to get it on the island. We’re sending a ShelterBox Logistics team into Miami to work and coordinate logistics into Haiti from there.’ Each iconic green ShelterBox contains a disaster relief tent for up to 10 people, a stove, blankets and other items essential for survival.

ShelterBox’s Logistics Manager Richard Lewis added: ‘We’re doing everything we can to make sure emergency aid reaches the people of Haiti. The situation is changing by the minute and we’re exploring every single avenue available to us in order to make sure the aid gets on the ground as quickly as possible.’

The ShelterBox Logistics team, made up of SRT members Mark Dyer (US), John Lacquey (US) and Ian Neal (UK), will meet a consignment of ShelterBoxes being flown into Miami, USA and run the logistics into Haiti from there. 930 ShelterBoxes have already been dispatched and are en route to Haiti while another 1,000 are being packed today at ShelterBox HQ by ShelterBox’s team of volunteers.

Virgin Atlantic are supporting the relief effort by flying hundreds of the ShelterBoxes on their planes. Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, said: ‘Everyone who has seen the sheer destruction in Haiti over the last few days will have been moved to help in any way they can. We will fly in as much aid as possible so that the agencies on the ground can respond to the needs of everyone in Haiti whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy.’

With the need in Haiti growing each day, there are millions of people in need of emergency shelter. ShelterBox Founder Tom Henderson, OBE, says support at this time is crucial. ‘The support we’ve seen in the last few days has been staggering,’ he said.

The Rotary Club of Ramsbottom are aiming to raise £490 – enough to buy at least 1 ShelterBox. There will be collection boxes in many shops in Ramsbottom and the Royal Bank of Scotland on Bridge Street. Please give generously to this great cause.