Blankets for earthquake victims shipped out

A container carrying hundreds of blankets yesterday left for Port Au Prince in Haiti, where they will be given to people who lost their homes in last month's devastating earthquake.

The first container to be sent by the Civil Protection Department's Humanitarian Aid Division will be shipped to the port of Caucedo in the Dominican Republic.

It will then be transported across the border to the disaster-struck capital, where thousands were killed, injured or made homeless.

The blankets are only a fraction of the donations collected by the department from the public in a successful campaign shortly after the January 12 earthquake.

However, deputy director Patrick Murgo said the items could not be shipped before all the necessary arrangements had been made, especially since many agents were staying away from Haiti.

Moreover, he said provisions were being delivered according to the country's needs because when they were sent in one go, some of them always went to waste and ended up in the hands of those who were not in need.

Nevertheless, he said more containers were expected to be sent after the department was recently informed that more food was needed by a charity working there.

He said that any supplies not shipped would be kept for future disasters. Anything perishable would be given to local charities.

This week, three containers, also containing blankets, left for Shkodra in Albania, which was struck by floods last month. Many people had to be evacuated and farmland and livestock are under threat.

Meanwhile, 42 people employed with the Radisson Blue Resort and Spa in Golden Bay gave up their day off to walk 13 kilometres from Dingli to Rabat to raise funds for Salesians of Don Bosco to raise money for the earthquake victims.