Scotland

Scots offer aid after quake hits Haiti

Scots aid agencies are getting involved in humanitarian efforts to help the millions of people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

The devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Tuesday, close to the country's capital Port-au-Prince. It is thought that around three million people have been affected.

Many buildings in city, including hospitals and the national presidential palace have been seriously damaged or destroyed while communications with the affected area have been disrupted.

The charity Mercy Corps, which has its European headquarter in Edinburgh, is sending a team of emergency responders to assess the damage and to work to help fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors.

A nurse from Forth Valley has also spoken of the terrifying moment an earthquake - which claimed thousands of lives - struck in the Caribbean country.

Paediatric nurse Susan Westwood, who worked at Stirling Royal Infirmary, was standing beside a cot in the remote hospital where she works when the quake hit.

She said: "It struck very suddenly. I was leaning on a cot and the floor started shaking very violently. The whole building was actually rocking back and forth - like a boat. It last for 35 to 40 seconds. Then there was a series of aftershocks.

"It was a very frightening time. We had to take all the children outside, infact we spent the night outside as felt it was the safest, even though it was very cold for Haiti."

Ms Westwood, who works with the charity, God's Littlest Angels, helps look after babies under six months at a hospital in the Kenscoff mountains, 45 minutes from the capital.

The nurse said no one at the hospital was injured but there is fears for the safety of other workers who were off shift at the time of the disaster.

She said: "We are waiting for news from several staff members who were not here at the time, who had days off or had gone home. So it's a very anxious time.

The nurse, who arrived in the country in August 2008, also revealed that there was a shortage of staff as many have not come back into work since the earthquake struck.

"There are lots of roads blocked and I am sure lots have lost family member because of what has happened."

She said the priority now was to make sure all the babies had enough milk and medication although she revealed they only have enough supplies for the next few days.

"Beyond that we are very concerned."

At the moment there is no running water at the hospital as they rely on it being delivered by lorry up the mountain.

She said: "We could have a problem if the tank runs dry and we wouldn't have drinking water. Also fears over food and fuel reserves. I am not clear how supplies would get through to us."

The nurse said a country like Haiti relies on outside help in major events like this because of the infrastructure of the country.

But she said: "It is encouraging for me to know people are responding to this already."

Randy Martin, Mercy Corps director of Global Emergency Operations, said: “Initial reports indicate that the quake has caused extensive damage, and we fear that casualties could be widespread,”

He added: “Our team will quickly assess what the most pressing needs are in earthquake-affected areas.”

Mercy Corps has been involved in helping survivors of earthquakes before, including the earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and in Indonesia last year.

Argyll-based charity Mary's Meals has been involved in feeding over 12,000 children in the country, many of them in the Cite Soleil slum, located close to Port-au-Prince.

They are trying to make contact with their friends in the country and to check on their welfare and to find out where they can help, although this is being hindered because of damage to power and communication lines.

In Grangemouth, earthquake rescue organisation International Rescue Corps is monitoring the situation.

Oxfam Scotland has launched an appeal for millions of pounds as it geared up its response.

Oxfam has a 100 strong-team working across Haiti – including 15 emergency specialists – and will be responding with public health, water and sanitation services to prevent the spread of waterborne disease. It also has links with a large network of community volunteers who can get aid to affected people quickly.

Malcolm Fleming, Oxfam Scotland’s campaigns manager, said: "Oxfam has a strong and highly experienced team in Haiti, who responded to the hurricanes that wreaked havoc in the country in 2008. They are ready to respond to the devastation caused by this horrific earthquake.

Oxfam has emergency stocks pre-positioned in Panama and in Bicester, Oxford and is primed to send them to the quake zone if needed.

Kristie van de Wetering, a former Oxfam employee still based in Port-au-Prince, said the situation is "Very chaotic with houses in rubble everywhere. There is a blanket of dust rising from the valley south of the capital. We can hear people calling for help from every corner. The aftershocks are ongoing and making people very nervous.”

The earthquake has worsened what was already a difficult situation in Haiti, a country where 80% of the population live below the poverty line, and has been described as the poorest in the western hemisphere. It has had a history of political instability since the 1980s, having been run as a dictatorship for the previous 30 years, and a United Nations force has been present in the country since a coup took place in 2004.

Members of the public can help the humanitarian efforts by donating to the following organisations:

God's Littlest Angels

International Rescue Corps