PRESS RELEASE

September 8, 2008

TEAR Fund responds to desperate need in Haiti

TEAR Fund NZ is responding to the needs of cyclone-stricken Haiti by giving $10,000 out of its Disaster Relief Fund, after the island nation has been repeatedly battered by tropical storms.

The latest of the tropical storms, Ike, has brought the death toll to more than 600 as flooding and landslides add to the devastation wrought by high winds.
Programmes Officer Marty Pritchard said more than 650 Kiwis sponsor children in Haiti through its partner Compassion International and all projects have been affected by the storms.

Compassion has reported that the Artibonite region (Gonaives) is the most affected, as waters rose up to 3m forcing residents to take refuge on their roofs. The storms have also destroyed what little infrastructure there was and this has made aid efforts difficult.

“Prior to the devastating series of storms, the people of Haiti were already in the grips of a food crisis but these storms have shattered all hopes of harvesting its rice crop, further compounding miseries there,” said Mr Pritchard.

Compassion is assessing the immediate needs and will use the $10,000 aid money where most needed. This disaster comes on the back of others such as the flooding in India’s state of Bihar, to which TEAR Fund responded by giving $80,000 to disaster relief efforts.

Those who would like to contribute can do so by giving to TEAR Fund’s Disaster Relief Fund so that TEAR Fund can be ready to respond to the next disaster.

ENDS

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