Anguilla Red Cross launches Haiti earthquake appeal

Picture show's collapse Presidential Palace - Haiti's President, Rene Preval says he believes thousands are dead

The Anguilla Red Cross, an overseas branch of the British Red Cross has launched an appeal in response to the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years, on Tuesday January 12, 2010. The British Red Cross has released £200,000 from its disaster fund to ensure money is immediately available for the disaster response. Red Cross volunteers in Haiti are currently assisting the injured and supporting hospitals, who do not have enough capacity to deal with this emergency.

Red Cross staff and volunteers are on the scene, and emergency stocks have been released within Haiti and from other warehouses in the region. However the sheer scale of this disaster means much more will be needed. The Red Cross Red Crescent movement has pre-positioned relief supplies for 3,000 families in Haiti, with supplies for thousands more in the nearby regional warehouse. These emergency supplies consist of kitchen kits, personal hygiene kits, blankets, tarpaulins and containers for storing drinking water.

Donations for the Anguilla Red Cross appeal can be made to the following bank accounts numbers:

    * National Bank of Anguilla, Account # 2044758
    * Caribbean Commercial Bank Account # 1527589