British government to Haiti’s rescue

The British government has pledged Euro 500, 000 (US$679,632) as well an emergency shipment of humanitarian supplies to poverty-stricken Haiti.
The government said the aid will support thousands of people left without shelter and help fight the cholera epidemic that is sweeping the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Minister for Overseas Development, Peter Power, said he has ordered the transport of 40 metric tonnes of tents and tarpaulins from stocks in Panama.
The British aid comes as the United States said it will begin honouring its pledge of financial aid to help Haiti rebuild from the massive January 12 earthquake that killed 300,000 people and left more than a million others homeless.
State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, said the Obama administration is sending US$120 million to the World Bank-run Haiti Reconstruction Fund as the first installment of the US$1.15 billion that the US pledged at a donor’s conference on Haiti at the United Nations in March.
Over the last weekend, the United Nations agencies and their partners appealed for US$164 million to support Haiti’s efforts to fight the cholera outbreak that has so far killed more than 900 people within a one month period. (CMC)