Walkerburn aid worker heads to Haiti

Published 22 Jan 2010 11:16 0 Comments

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David Stevens from Walkerburn is helping in the relief effort in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake

An aid worker from Walkerburn has flown to Haiti to help in the relief effort after the country was hit by a devastating earthquake last week.

The quake is being described as the worst natural disaster since the boxing day tsunami of 2004, and is estimated to have claimed 200,000 lives.

David Stevens, a volunteer with the British Red Cross Logistic's Emergency Response Unit, is based at Santo Domingo airport in neighbouring Dominican Republic.

David and his team are based in the airport to process aid as it arrives and distribute it to the desperate survivors of the quake.

So far the charity has already sent 22 tons of aid to the Caribbean country on specially chartered flights, which the charity will deliver to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

David, 67, said: "My role is to work efficiently to get the things to people that they need to survive."

"Everybody has the capacity to make a difference - especially people back in Scotland who can donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal. Even if it's just a pound it will help a family who has lost everything."

The earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, has flattened entire cities and left the majority of the country's nine million inhabitants homeless.

The death toll is expected to be in the region of 200,000, but lack of medical supplies and basic sanitation means that disease may push that figure even higher.

Red Cross trucks carrying life saving relief items arrived last weekend, bringing a rapid health response unit including a 50-bed field hospital, medical aid, IT and telecoms equipment, along with facilities for providing clean water.

The scale of the disaster has prompted a worldwide response, and the Red Cross has been joined by numerous other organisations including Oxfam, Christian Aid and the American military.

Charities on the ground have described the conditions faced by survivors as 'hell on earth.'

There can't be many people who would voluntarily venture into such a situation, but David didn't give it a second thought.

"It's very distressing, no doubt about it, but as long as I have the health, energy and purpose to do something worthwhile, I will.

After spending 23 years in the RAF and 16 years with British Aerospace, it was actually the prospect of a quiet retirement that prompted to David to contact the Red Cross.

Since then David has been all over the world with the charity, helping out with everything from the Bam earthquake in Iran and Hurricane Ivan in Grenada to the Indonesian tsunami.

Speaking to the Peeblesshire News last year, before he travelled to South East Asia to deal with another earthquake, David said: "The tsunami was probably the largest operation. I arrived in Sri Lanka days after the event and ended up staying until September 2005, only making it home once for my son's wedding.

"I also spent seven months in Pakistan after the earthquake and started the helicopter operation there. In any one day we would have up to 60 helicopters in the air doing 200 aid drops a day."

Kenny Rae, an Oxfam aid worker from Edinburgh, who is also based in Santo Domingo, has repeated David's appeal for people to be as generous as they can afford when donating funds.

"Oxfam and other agencies are working quickly and efficiently under the very challenging circumstances to get aid to the most vulnerable people in Port-au-Prince.

"Providing clean water is our immediate priority. We have set up four bladder tanks across the city, which hold 10,000 litres of water each.

"And with the help of the Scottish public, ten tonnes of water, sanitation, health and shelter equipment has arrived from the UK, including chlorine for drinking water treatment, buckets, plastic sheeting and, tragically, more body bags.

"But the needs in Haiti are huge and they don't just include initial emergency supplies. The Scots have already been generous. But more money is needed and I'd encourage those who haven't donated to do what they can to help us save lives and get people back on their feet."

Across the regions, charities are doing what they can to help - the Red Cross shop in Peebles has already taken £300 in over the counter donations alone.

Marjory Smith, shop manager, told the Peeblesshire News: "People have been so generous.

"We have received £300 just from over the counter donations in the last week, and all the shops across the UK have taken £53,000 so far.

"I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made a donation and assure them that their contribution will have made a big difference. I'd also like to urge anyone who hasn't donated yet to give what they can, however small a donation is it will make a big difference to the people of Haiti."

If you would like to donate to the Haiti appeal, you can donate at any Red Cross Shop, Post Office or high street bank. Alternatively you can call 0370 60 60 900 or log on to www.dec.org.uk.

This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 22 Jan 10

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