UK gives £20m to Haiti
BRITAIN tripled its aid commitment to Haiti to £20m yesterday as rescue teams struggled to help remaining survivors of last week’s devastating earthquake.
The humanitarian funds will go towards providing food and shelter to tens of thousands of people left without basic provisions after the disaster left capital Port-au-Prince in ruins.
The EU pledged more than €400m (£354m) in emergency money through its executive arm, the European Commission. “We have taken swift action,” EU foreign policy chief Lady Ashton said as she detailed €137m in short-term assistance and a minimum of €200m for the longer term. EU member states will provide an additional €92m.
International development secretary Douglas Alexander said the global community was dealing with “an almost unprecedented level of devastation”.