Red Cross pleads for quake victims 18.01.10
By Times ReporterZAMBIA Red Cross Society (ZRCS) secretary generalCharles Mushitu has appealed to the Government and other stakeholders to contribute towards the US $103 million fund to assist the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
More than 150,000 Haitians were struck by an earthquake, which displaced more than three million others.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mushitu said the assistance towards the $103 million fund launched by International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) could be in form of funds, medical supplies and personnel, food, shelter, and engineers.
“As we all have known by now an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Ritcher scale struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, killing more than 150,000 people and displacing more than three million others.
“As ZRSC, we are calling on the Government, Zambians and the corporate world at large to spare a moment and think of the hardships our brothers and sisters in Haiti are going through,” Mr Mushitu said.
Those who wished to make contributions to affected Haitians, he said, could do so through ZRCS or online donation on http/donate.ifrc.org and the aid could be delivered to that country sooner.
He said the governments of Botswana and South Africa, and several other organisations had already made colossal contributions to the cause to assist the affected population in Haiti.
“Bodies are strewn all over Port-ua-Prince, the capital city of Haiti and Haiti has been overwhelmed by this challenge. This earthquake is almost the same as the Tsunami that hit Asia in 2004,” Mr Mushitu said.
Those who wished to mourn and convey their condolences could visit ZRCS offices to sign the books of condolences.
Locally, Mr Mushitu said, ZRCS had set aside over K180 million, enough tents, blankets, beds, foodstuff among other items as emergency support for any possible disaster.
He said the organisation had since mobilised a team that was on standby to render assistance should any form of disaster arising from floods in the country occur.
He, however, said experts from Zambia Meteorological Department and Ministry of Agriculture had predicted the country would experience lesser floods this year than last year due to varying rain patterns.
[Times of Zambia]
