Page Last Updated: 26/01/2010
Brief Details: January 2010 - A severe earthquake, whose epicentre was close to the capital, Port-au-Prince, hit the already most impoverished country in the Western hemisphere - Haiti.

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Haiti earthquake

On 12th January a severe earthquake hit Haiti, which was already the most impoverished country in the Western hemisphere. The epicentre was only a few miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince. The country had little enough infrastructure anyway and with an estimated 10% of all buildings in the capital having collapsed, including the Presidential palace and the main cathedral being burnt to the ground, this has left little governance. A local Rotarian was quoted, "Haiti is no more". Latest estimates are of some 200,000 deaths.

For a few more pictures of ShelterBoxes being prepared for, and arriving in Haiti go to this page.

This is a link to a page on the ShelterBox site showing progress on setting up camps as the aid starts to flow into Haiti.

What is Rotary in Northampton doing?

There are 5 Rotary clubs in Northampton and they are working both individually and jointly to fund the essential work being done in Haiti. On Monday 18th the Mayor of Northampton, Michael Hill who is himself a Rotarian, announced a public campaign by all the clubs to seek contributions from the public towards the purchase of further boxes, which cost about £500 each. A team of collectors from all 5 clubs was in the Grosvenor Centre, Northampton all day on Saturday 23rd to collect cash. They had both a box and tent on display. Thanks to the generosity of the people of Northampton we collected over £3,700. This will mean at least another 7 or 8 ShelterBoxes for Haiti. 

On Radio 4 today the President of Haiti who, until now, seems to have been keeping a very low profile appealed for tents to arrive before the rainy season in May. So the more boxes we can send, the better - each one contains a 10-person tent and sleeping bags.

Nene Valley club, which has a long history of purchasing ShelterBoxes, has already sent off to buy two more and, with the generous support of the people of Northampton we are confident that more will swiftly follow. The Apollo club too is funding a ShelterBox; Northampton club has funded six; Northampton West has bought three; and Northampton Becket is believed to have funded four.

Other clubs around the country are doing similarly.

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ShelterBox

Rotary is helping with the efforts to save life, ease suffering and rebuild the country. Some ten years ago a Rotarian from Cornwall, Tom Henderson set up a charity, ShelterBox, which is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. It has now grown to be one of the largest Rotary-sponsored charities in the world. Last year Haiti was hit by four tropical storms and thus Shelterbox was already working in the country and had local Rotarian contacts. A 3-person Shelterbox Response Team (SRT) was immediately flown into Santo Domingo in the adjacent Dominican Republic and have driven to Port-au-Prince to coordinate the distribution of the boxes, the first of which are already in country. It is a rapidly developing situation but there are at least 2000 boxes either already there or en route as at today, 16th January.

What is in a ShelterBox?

How big is it?
Each box is 23.7" (570mm) wide by 33.2" (842mm) long by 22.4" (602mm) deep giving a capacity of 40.7gallons (185 litres). Fully packed, a box generally weighs between 110lbs and 130lbs (50 to 60kg).

Shelter
At the heart of every ShelterBox is a ten-person tent. It is custom made for ShelterBox by Vango, one of the world's leading tent manufacturers, and is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions that allow recipients to divide the space as they see fit.

A smile
Every box contains a children's pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. For children who have lost most, if not all,their possessions, these small gifts are treasured.

Warmth and protection
In addition to the tent, the boxes contain a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. Water supplies often become contaminated after a major disaster, as infrastructure and sanitation systems are destroyed, this presents a secondary but no less dangerous threat to survivors than the initial disaster itself.

Self sufficiency
A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters can be found in every box. These items enable people to improve their immediate environment, by chopping firewood or digging a latrine, for example. Then, when it is possible, to start repairing or rebuilding the home they were forced to leave.

Fit for purpose
Every item is durable, practical and brand new. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past - from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.

A heart to the home
A key piece in every box is either a wood burning or multi-fuel stove - that can burn anything from diesel to old paint. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.

This video on the BBC news website shows an SRT coordinator at Heathrow in a warehouse with the next batch of boxes that he is accompanying over to the disaster area.

Video from ShelterBox

ShelterBox statement

Hundreds of ShelterBoxes due to arrive in Haiti

More than 200 ShelterBoxes filled with disaster relief tents and emergency supplies are set to arrive in Port au Prince, Haiti later today. 256 ShelterBoxes that were dispatched from the prepositioned stock in Curacoa on Wednesday are due to touch down in Haiti late this afternoon, Haitian time, providing the plane they are on is cleared to land. However, the situation in Port au Prince is extremely fluid and logistics are changing minute by minute.

Aid workers for the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox have been in Port au Prince since Thursday and have been working around the clock assessing the most effective ways to distribute the much needed aid. The ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members David Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and Mark Pearson (UK) says the situation on the ground is frantic but they are doing all they can to make sure they deliver aid into Port au Prince as quickly as they can.

Mark Pearson, who was one of the first on the ground in the Indian Ocean Tsunami, said: 'This is worse than the Tsunami. It's utter chaos at the airport. Buildings have been completely destroyed, the hospital has been destroyed. It's a full scale emergency, there's so much destruction.

'The priority at the moment is search and rescue and then after that emergency shelter provision, so obviously there's frustration. There's no fuel and people are hunting for water. It's difficult to but the scale of destruction into words.'

A second Response Team, consisting of SRT members Mark Dyer and John Lacquey (both US), are in Miami, USA coordinating the ShelterBox logistical effort into Haiti from there. They will be joined later today by SRT member Ian Neal (UK) who will be travelling with the ShelterBoxes which are being shipped through Miami.

Before he left the UK, Ian said: 'I'm tasked with delivering emergency shelter to people affected by the earthquake. I'm just focusing on the good we can do.

'Every disaster comes with shocking images but I'm going to focus on giving help to the people who have survived the earthquake. We're just waiting for the ShelterBoxes to arrive which should be very soon.'

A Virgin Atlantic flight, loaded with ShelterBoxes, left the UK today heading for Miami. Virgin Atlantic are flying ShelterBoxes out of London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports. Volunteers at ShelterBox UK have worked through the night packing boxes and will still be in full swing throughout the weekend.

ShelterBox's Head of Operations, John Leach, added: 'We're doing all we can both here and in Port au Prince to clear the plane from Curacao for landing and we're also awaiting confirmation that the 70 boxes sent from El Salvador have arrived.

'The efforts of ShelterBox volunteers and supporters around the world is a true testament to the organisation. The job of getting aid to Haiti is well underway but there's more hard work ahead. Please help in anyway if you can.' 

For plenty more pictures, provided by ShelterBox volunteers in Haiti, go to this page. 

Four year-old Carlos had his leg amputated on Wednesday. He is now recovering in a ShelterBox tent and is pictured using one of the children’s packs sent in the boxes. Photograph: Mark Pearson, SRT Coordinator.