Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain

08/20/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/21/2021 03:36

Spanish Cooperation sends 30 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Haiti

Spain will send a plane tomorrow with 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Haiti to alleviate the consequences of the earthquake that struck the country on 14 August, killing, at the latest count by the Civil Protection authorities of Haiti, around 2,100 people and injuring a further 10,000. Organised by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, this shipment includes 21 tonnes of aid consisting of medical equipment, tarpaulins, basic cooking equipment and drinking water and sanitation equipment. The other 9 tonnes will be contributed by Acción contra el Hambre, the Spanish Red Cross and Médicos del Mundo, which are working on the ground.

The aid will be distributed on Sunday, upon its arrival at Port-au-Prince, between the Civil Protection authorities of Haiti, the Ministry of Health and the Haitian National Directorate for Water and Sanitation (Spanish acronym: DINEPA).

The contributions from Acción contra el Hambre, the Spanish Red Cross and Médicos del Mundo consist of 280 family hygiene kits, water and sanitation equipment, material to provide shelter and for water treatment, along with basic cooking kits that these organisations will use to implement the humanitarian operations with the people of Haiti.

In addition, three AECID experts in humanitarian assistance will arrive in Haiti today to provide support, together with personnel from the Technical Office of the local agency and from the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation, in the operation of drinking water plants, sanitation systems, warehousing and the transportation of water, etc. The aim is to facilitate access by people to drinking water and sanitation following the serious damage to the infrastructure caused by the earthquake.

This emergency aid operation by Spain is framed within the so-called 'Team Europe', co-financed by the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which is co-financing 75% of the transportation costs of the aid materials.

In addition to this shipment, AECID has contributed 250,000 euros to the emergency call made by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to attend to the people affected by this crisis.

You can download the pictures of the plane being loaded that leaves tomorrow by clicking on this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gfn7fzvbt6uefzs/AAAXtjRabriGhNAerIYbi4NGa?dl=0

The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (Spanish acronym: MAUC), is the main management body of Spanish Cooperation. Geared towards fighting poverty and sustainable human development, its priorities include humanitarian action.

The Humanitarian Action Office (Spanish acronym: OAH) of AECID, set up in 2007, is tasked with managing and implementing official Spanish humanitarian action, based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.