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Britons escaping devastated Haiti UK team seeks survivors in Haiti
(about 3 hours later)
The Foreign Office has started repatriating British citizens caught up in the devastating earthquake in Haiti. British rescue workers have begun trying to find survivors among the devastation in earthquake-hit Haiti.
Officials say they have located and checked on more than 30 other Britons. There are no reports of UK casualties. The team, equipped with heavy lifting gear, said it was planning to send in dogs to search for anyone trapped.
A British rescue team arrived in Haiti on Thursday with dogs and heavy equipment, and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched an appeal. The Foreign Office is checking on Britons in the country and will start repatriations. Officials say 30 have been found and all are safe and well.
Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude quake is feared to have killed tens of thousands of people in the Caribbean island. Meanwhile, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched an appeal, with a TV advert due to be aired later.
The quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, has flattened whole areas in the country's capital struck Port-au-Prince. Tens of thousands of people on the Caribbean island are feared dead after Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude quake.
The quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, has flattened whole areas in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince.
'Tragedy beyond imagination''Tragedy beyond imagination'
The Foreign Office said Steven Fisher, the UK ambassador to the Dominican Republic, along with several other consular staff, were now "on the ground" in neighbouring Haiti. The Foreign Office said Steven Fisher, UK ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and other consular staff, were now in neighbouring Haiti.
Officials say they have located more than 30 Britons, all of whom are safe and well. There are no reports of UK casualties so far.
"We are beginning to repatriate the first British nationals," a spokesman said."We are beginning to repatriate the first British nationals," a spokesman said.
"They have also located and checked on over 30 other Brits, who have confirmed they are safe and well, and are co-ordinating with US, Canadian and EU partners to facilitate the evacuation of any British nationals who wish to leave Haiti." Officials will work with US, Canadian and EU partners to evacuate any British nationals who wish to leave Haiti, he said.
DEC APPEAL The Disasters Emergency Committee is co-ordinating an appeal to help the people of HaitiThere are 13 charities involved including the British Red Cross, Islamic Relief and World VisionDonate via www.dec.org.uk or by telephoning 0370 60 60 900 DEC APPEAL The Disasters Emergency Committee is co-ordinating an appeal to help the people of HaitiThere are 13 charities involved including the British Red Cross, Islamic Relief and World VisionDonate via the class="" href="http://www.dec.org.uk">DEC website or by telephoning 0370 60 60 900
The FCO said it was trying to contact all those British nationals in Haiti who had registered with the FCO and had received a number of calls from relatives of UK citizens who may have been affected. The British search and rescue team - made up of 71 people, mostly from the fire services, and two search dogs - flew to Haiti on Thursday.
Gordon Brown said the earthquake was a "tragedy beyond imagination" and urged the public to donate money to help.
"The problem at the moment is that there are still many, many people who are trapped or buried under rubble, and we do not know the full scale of that catastrophe," he said.
Mr Brown also sent a message of sympathy and support to Haitians on behalf of the British public and said the country had become the "centre of our world's attention, the world's compassion".
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the government's donation of £6.2m would "kick-start" the humanitarian relief effort.
"It is already clear that we are facing a major humanitarian crisis. Haiti needs help and it needs it now," he said.
He said homeless Haitians needed food, water, sanitation, shelter and medicine.
The UK contribution will be divided between a number of international agencies and appeals - dictated by an ongoing assessment of need on the ground.
Haitians are used to disaster but this is the worse thing that has ever happened. Everything is destroyed. Haitian Barbara Jones, living in UK
Meanwhile, the Queen has donated an undisclosed amount to the DEC appeal. The DEC is an umbrella organisation which co-ordinates responses to major disasters overseas.
In a message to Haiti's president, the monarch said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the earthquake in Haiti, with its huge loss of life and damage to homes and livelihoods.
"I offer my condolences and profound sympathy to all those affected."
The 71 members of the British search and rescue team - plus two special search dogs - have come together from fire services around the UK.
They flew to Haiti with eight experts from non governmental organisations (NGOs), four members of a government assessment team and a cargo of heavy rescue equipment.
The team's leader, Lancashire fire chief Mike Thomas, said the rescuers' first priority was to start to identify where people were still trapped.The team's leader, Lancashire fire chief Mike Thomas, said the rescuers' first priority was to start to identify where people were still trapped.
"We're hoping to get our dogs out there quite quickly as they will be invaluable in helping to target those areas," he said."We're hoping to get our dogs out there quite quickly as they will be invaluable in helping to target those areas," he said.
Gordon Brown said the earthquake was a "tragedy beyond imagination" and urged the public to donate money to help.
"The problem at the moment is that there are still many, many people who are trapped or buried under rubble, and we do not know the full scale of that catastrophe," he said.
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the government's donation of £6.2m would help provide homeless Haitians with food, water, sanitation, shelter and medicine.
The UK contribution will be divided between a number of international agencies and appeals.
Meanwhile, the Queen has donated an undisclosed amount to the DEC, an umbrella organisation which co-ordinates responses to major disasters overseas.
The monarch offered her condolences to Haiti's president, saying she was "deeply saddened by the huge loss of life and damage to homes and livelihoods".
Missing familiesMissing families
In addition to the rescue team, British aid workers from charities and organisations are already in Haiti and more are being flown out. In addition to the rescue team, British aid workers are already in Haiti and more are being flown out.
The Red Cross has said three million people - up to a third of the population - might need emergency aid.The Red Cross has said three million people - up to a third of the population - might need emergency aid.
Haitian President Rene Preval could not give an official estimate of the dead but said he had heard of figures of up to 50,000 people.Haitian President Rene Preval could not give an official estimate of the dead but said he had heard of figures of up to 50,000 people.
DEC launches Haiti quake appeal Living sleep among dead Haiti Earthquake: Your stories In pictures: Haiti rubbleDEC launches Haiti quake appeal Living sleep among dead Haiti Earthquake: Your stories In pictures: Haiti rubble
Barbara Stocking, the chief executive of Oxfam, said the situation on the ground for aid workers was difficult. Oxfam said its stocks of water, sanitation and shelter were all destroyed in the earthquake, along with the charity's office.
She said the charity had had a base in Haiti for many years. Save the Children's Ian Rodgers, who is in Port-au-Prince, said their office had not been damaged and most of their staff had been located.
"We did have prepositioned stocks - we work mainly in water and sanitation and shelter - but unfortunately, that was all destroyed in the earthquake itself, as was our office." Aid agencies were struggling to get relief into the country, he said, and people's shock had turned to distress.
Save the Children's emergencies director Gareth Owen said the biggest challenge for aid workers was going to be logistics, adding that only half of the charity's staff in the country had been accounted for. Families had been left homeless and children separated from their parents, he added, and many would suffer psychologically in the longer term.
He said up to two million children could be scarred for life by what had happened and that many could be having to deal with the aftermath on their own. UK charity Plan International said people were attempting to recover bodies from buildings and huge numbers were living on the streets.
UK charity Plan International said people were attempting to recover bodies from buildings and huge numbers of people were living on the streets. Haitian Barbara Jones, who has been living in Milton Keynes for eight months, has not been able to contact her family in Port au Prince since the earthquake struck.
People in the UK have said they have had trouble contacting their relatives in Haiti. "Haitians are used to disaster but this is the worse thing that has ever happened," she said.
Haitian Barbara Jones, who has been living in Milton Keynes for just eight months, has not been able to contact her family since the earthquake struck.
"My family live in Port au Prince, right at the epicentre of the earthquake. I haven't heard from any of them, " she said.
"Haitians are used to disaster but this is the worse thing that has ever happened. Everything is destroyed. It is so upsetting.
"Haiti's government cannot respond to something on this scale. To see how the whole world is responding is amazing. I am close to tears when I see how everyone is coming to help us."
The Red Cross has set up a website to help people abroad to try to contact their relatives. A similar site has been created by two Haitians in the US.The Red Cross has set up a website to help people abroad to try to contact their relatives. A similar site has been created by two Haitians in the US.
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