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Canadian aid reaching earthquake survivors in Haiti

January 19, 2010

The Canadian Red Cross response to last week’s devastating Haitian earthquake continues to grow, with $6.7 million already contributed to the relief effort in cash, personnel and supplies.

Of the more than 400 Red Cross workers who have arrived in Port-au-Prince since the earthquake, 12 of them are Canadians (with another 20 delegates on standby). Among them are doctors and other medical personnel, who began treating the injured as soon as they arrived. Canadian aid worker Jean-Pierre Taschereau is leading an international assessment team of experts in logistics, relief, telecommunications, shelter and health.

Miriam Castaneda, Haiti program manager for the Canadian Red Cross, was in Haiti when the earthquake struck. She, along with other international Red Cross workers and local staff—who have been working around the clock since the quake struck, despite the personal losses many of them have suffered—immediately began coordinating and providing relief to those in need.

“We’ve been doing everything we can to help,” said Castaneda. “One of the biggest needs right now is medical care. On the first night, we set up a make-shift medical centre and provided first aid before transporting people to the hospitals, which are overrun with patients.”