NATURAL disasters are seldom far from the world news headlines, but in recent weeks the forces of nature have, in rapid succession, brought death and suffering to two island communities and the western seaboard of South America.

Attention here in Jersey may now be
focused on the Chilean earthquake, because it is the story of the moment, and on the floods and landslides in Madeira, because of our close connection with that community. This, however, should not lead us to forget that Haiti is still reeling from the quake which destroyed so much of its already flimsy infrastructure, killed so many of its people and left so many more bereft of any comfort.

At the weekend there was, in fact,
magnificent evidence that Haiti has not been forgotten and that, in tandem with continuing efforts to raise money for Madeira, funds from this Island are still flowing to the stricken Caribbean nation. That evidence came in the shape of the day-long Fort Regent concert which raised £25,000 for the continuing relief programme.

As always, Islanders responded with great empathy and generosity to a worthwhile charitable appeal, some 1,300 actually turning up to enjoy the music and make the concert a huge success. Their contribution must, of course, be seen alongside the work of the organisers and musicians who made the event possible.

Niall MacFirbhisigh must be singled out for having the imagination, determination and skill to make the show happen. He and his team laboured selflessly to ensure that a day to remember achieved everything it was supposed to achieve. The musicians, too, deserve not only thanks, but also admiration for donating their time and their talent. Few who are aware of what the concert meant – and continues to mean – can be unimpressed by the presence of Nerina Pallot, a major star whose charitable instincts and love of her native Island led her to make the considerable effort to travel here and perform at the Fort.

The point now is to ensure that the weekend’s concert is not regarded as the end of the matter. Haiti is still in desperate need of all the help it can get. Equally, Madeira must still be in our minds, and, though that awful phenomenon described as ‘compassion fatigue’ is likely to set in, Chile also needs international assistance to repair the devastation that it has suffered.