Like many people in Tottenham and the wider community, David has watched the catastrophic picture emerging from Haiti over the last two days with a great sense of sadness. "I am deeply moved by the shocking pictures emerging from Haiti following the devastating earthquake earlier this week. The scale of the humanitarian crisis is unimaginable and my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and members of the Haitian community in the UK. I applaud all those working in search and rescue teams in the country including the firefighters and other relief staff from Britain who are on their way to Haiti. Much has been said in the press over the last couple of days about the scale of the poverty in Haiti. I saw this for myself in 2004 when I visited the country with ActionAid and I found it difficult to contemplate that this level of poverty could exist in the heart of the Western Hemisphere. Yet I was also struck by the wonderful people I met in Haiti and the welcome I received while I was in the country.
It is with thoughts of that trip and the people I met in Haiti, that I welcome the announcement made by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander of the UK’s $10 million donation to the humanitarian effort. I would encourage you to see this as the start of the UK’s response to the disaster and join me in making a personal donation to the urgent appeal run by ActionAid." https://support.actionaid.org.uk/store/checkout_donation.asp?prod_id=247 ActionAid has started an emergency response to the earthquake in Haiti and launched an appeal for funds. ActionAid staff based in Haiti are already working to provide immediate relief. They are planning to send an emergency team to Haiti as soon as possible to deliver aid including shelter and clean water, it is hoped this will reach 20,000 people. ActionAid has 20 members of staff based in Haiti, communication was lost with staff in the country in the aftermath of the earthquake but has now been restored. ActionAid is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, an alliance of 13 of the UK’s leading humanitarian organisations which has also launched an urgent appeal for funds to support humanitarian work in Haiti. https://www.donate.bt.com/dec_form_haiti.html As part of the international community the government has announced that the UK is involved in the co-ordination of a global response providing aid and support to the people of Haiti. A 64 strong UK search and rescue team including firefighters with heavy lifting equipment has been deployed to Haiti. A DFiD assessment team has landed in the Dominican Republic and will travel to Port au Prince as soon as this is logistically possible. It will assess the situation and determine the priority needs in terms of further assistance. Douglas Alexander is in close contact with officials from the US and other countries to co-ordinate the overseas relief effort. With Mike Foster he hosted a meeting with the UK’s key humanitarian organisations to discuss the situation and help co-ordinate efforts. The Secretary for International Development, Douglas Alexander said: “It is already clear that we are facing a major humanitarian crisis. Haiti needs help and it needs it now.
“The most pressing need is for international search and rescue teams – including firefighters from all over Britain - to get on with their work of saving lives. “But at the same time there is an overwhelming requirement for food, water, sanitation, shelter and medicine among the people who have been made homeless. “That is why the Department for International Development is providing $10 million to help kickstart humanitarian relief in Haiti.”
| 
