British Navy to Support Haiti’s Reconstruction Efforts

The British Royal Navy will be dispatched to Haiti to help with earthquake recovery efforts.

The government said £ 1million in support would be sent to the country, while the wave-class RFA Wave Knight swift tanker would also support the international humanitarian response.

More than 1,900 people were killed in Saturday’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake, with Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency bringing the number of injured to 9,900 on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, “Caribbean communities can count on the Royal Navy to help them in the event of a disaster.

“The Royal Navy is proud to support the British Overseas Territories and other partners in the Caribbean during hurricane season. I am proud that the UK can now play a role in the US effort to respond to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

The tanker will serve as a landing strip for US military helicopters responding to the crisis.

And the government has said experts from the UK Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT) will be deployed to Haiti this week to assess medical assistance needs and identify additional support.

Caribbean Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “It is at times like this that the international community must come together to help people in crisis. UK support will complement Haiti’s efforts to provide emergency relief to the most vulnerable, including access to essential health care and sanitation.

The new funding is in addition to the UK’s contributions to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund and the Seed Fund, which have allocated £ 5.8 million, £ 600,000 and £ 250,000 respectively.

A British humanitarian expert will also arrive in Haiti as part of a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) mission, to help assess the damage and humanitarian needs.