Bailiff launches Haiti appeal

Tuesday 19th January 2010, 3:00PM GMT.

The first aid boxes arrive in Port-au-Prince as countries all over the world respond to the crisis. Picture: Mark Pearson

THE Bailiff launched a public disaster appeal today for the stricken people of Haiti, who are struggling to survive in the wake of the devastating earthquake.

Setting up the Jersey Disaster Appeal, Michael Birt said that what had happened in Haiti ‘was clearly a human tragedy on a massive scale’.

He urged the public to contribute to the fund to support fellow islanders in their most desperate hour of need.

‘As a fellow island community, Jersey will be keen to show its support to those who so desperately need emergency supplies, be it in the form of essential medicine, clean drinking water, food or shelter,’ he said.

• Donations to the Jersey Disaster Appeal may be made by cash, by cheque or by credit or debit card paid into the dedicated bank account held by HSBC (sort code: 40-25-34, account number 91663933, IBAN: GB80MIDL40253491663933).

• Cheques should be made payable to the Jersey Disaster Appeal. Payments may be made into that account through any clearing bank in the Island or post office.

• Donations may also be made over the counter at the States Treasury cashiers on the ground floor of Cyril Le Marquand House in the Parade, which is open between 9 am and 5 pm from Monday to Friday.

• Islanders may also make donations at any parish hall, or use a freepost facility launched by Jersey Post so that cheques may be sent free of charge to the appeal, with envelopes addressed to Jersey Disaster Appeal, Freepost, JE731, Jersey JE1 1AF. Donations of more than £100 will be subject to relief by the Income Tax department under certain conditions.

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1
deputy dog

January 19, 2010 at 10:33 pm

Devastating as it is but how come all the aid falls into the wrong hands when it arrives?

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2
Johnny Foreigner

January 20, 2010 at 5:53 am

Wow that was quick, it’s only been a week, assuming anyone is left alive I’m sure they’ll be grateful for the aid. Makes the US response look professional, still any aid is good aid.

Are we going to charter a plane for the shoebox? or wil it sit at the back in the corner of one of the professional planes. Is this an independant effort with our own distribution teams or are we quietly passing it on to one of the big boys who know what they are doing?. I hope it’s not our lot can you imagine “now then how long have you lived here, are you local, no? well we’ll have to wait 11 years before you qualify for aid – unless you are a bank worker hiding under the essentially employed banner, in which case here you are, take more than you need”.

If you want to make a donation I suggest giving to the DSC/Unicef/Red Cross who have all been on the ground since day one and don’t have a politacal agenda. Will we be paying GST on donations?.

This is a humanitarian disaster and not a politacal football. If we were serious we should have launched the appeal on day one, that would have got us noticed.

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3
truthseeker

January 20, 2010 at 2:08 pm

I wish the islanders of Haiti all the best and sympathise with their plight,but was nearly sick when I heard the letter sent on our behalf read out on the radio this morning,a worse piece of pompous verbage would be hard to contrive…out of touch or what…?

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