Press Release

26 September 2004

UK relief airlift to Haiti                               

The UK's Department for International Development has sent two aircraft to Haiti to support the humanitarian effort in the country. 

They will be carrying 700 tents to provide shelter to about 3,500 people (700 families). Some humanitarian agencies are experiencing logistical difficulties, so we are planning to include two Land Rovers and operational support equipment, including four generators and eight radio units, to help our partners carry out their work. 

Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development said, "The impact of the tropical storm on Haiti has been devastating. In Gonaives alone 4,000 homes have been destroyed leaving 20,000 people homeless. The tents we are sending to Haiti will provide shelter for about 3,500 people and help to support the international relief effort. The UK is also sending vehicles and power generators so relief work can be carried out more effectively by those on the ground. The UK will continue to work with the UN and other agencies to ensure the immediate needs of the people affected are met."

Notes to Editors

1.The flights went to Port au Prince in Haiti on Sunday 26 September. The cargo was collected by DFID’s partner, CARE International and taken to Gonaives, one of the worst affected areas in Haiti.

2.Tropical Storm Jeanne passed over Haiti on 17 September. The death toll in Haiti currently stands at 1,013 with 1,200 people missing. These numbers are expected to increase with two areas of Gonaives still under water. The UN now estimates that about 175,000 people have been affected, 80,000 in Gonaives alone. Initial assessments indicate that 4,000 houses have been totally destroyed in Gonaives, leaving some 20,000 people homeless. No electricity or landline telephone communication is available in Gonaives and the hospital is flooded.

3.The Department for International Development (DFID) is the UK Government department responsible for promoting sustainable development and reducing poverty. The central focus of the Government's policy is a commitment to the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015.

These seek to:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

For more information please contact the DFID press office on 0207 023 0600 or e-mail pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk

Information on USAID relief efforts in the Caribbean.