The Irish Government’s special consignment of more than 80 tonnes of emergency humanitarian supplies for Haiti’s earthquake victims has arrived in the country.
The supplies of blankets, plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, water tanks, tents, mattresses and kitchen sets is to be distributed by Irish aid agencies Concern and Goal to thousands of families displaced by the earthquake.
Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power said the consignment was additional to the €2 million in financial support already pledged by the Government.
Mr Power said the aid, one of the largest consignments ever directly supplied by the Government, arrived in the Dominican Republic last night and was today transported by a convoy of 16 trucks to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
In addition to blankets, water and sanitation equipment, tents and kitchen sets, the consignment also includes generators which are crucial to the urgent relief effort, Mr Power said.
Mr Power also confirmed that three members of Ireland's Rapid Response Corps have been deployed to Haiti to assist in the international emergency effort in the wake of this week's devastating earthquake.
Goal has today confirmed it will begin distributing food and non-food items to the people of Port-au-Prince this afternoon.
This operation will take place in the Turgeau region, one of the areas worst hit by the earthquake. Goal said most of the food has been sourced from the UN, while the non-food items have been brought by truck from the organisation's base in the Dominican Republic.
Goal chief executive John O'Shea said his group was "delighted" to be up and running. "We expect that over the coming days and weeks we will expand our operations significantly. But everything here depends on the level of security which the international community intend to provide."
Oxfam Ireland said today its Haiti appeal had raised €300,000. The agency’s said it was “continuing to scale up” its emergency water and sanitation supply to assist the survivors.
The Irish Red Cross said today it is deploying two experts to Port-au-Prince in response to the earthquake.
Irishman Joe Lowry will act as communications manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), while Irish Red Cross delegate Will Rogers will arrive in Port-au-Prince tomorrow to manage beneficiary communications.
The Irish Red Cross said their priority will be to engage with communities, keep them informed of aid deliveries, and ensure local support for Red Cross efforts.
Yesterday, the Irish Red Cross sent a further €200,000 in emergency aid to the people of Haiti, but the body said further assistance is needed.