Wales raises £1m for Haiti quake

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People in Wales have donated more than £1m to help victims of the Haiti earthquake 11 days ago.

That figure is expected to rise still further as fundraising efforts continue throughout the country.

Members of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Cymru will meet First Minister Carwyn Jones on Monday.

The £1m figure was revealed as a seven-strong rescue team from Mid and West Wales Service returned home after after help search for quake survivors.

More than 110,000 people are known to have been killed in the disaster.

While they were in Haiti, the firefighters pulled a two-year-old girl called Mia and a woman called Sonia from the rubble.

One of the firefighters who took part in Mia's rescue, William Gerwyn Howells, described the emotion when she was eventually freed.

"We just tunnelled away until eventually we freed her and she came out with tassels in her hair and she was still fully clothed, "he said.

"And it was quite an emotional moment for {us}. It was difficult to keep the tears from coming down the face."

A day later and the rescuers freed a woman Sonia who had been trapped for days pulled from under a building

"It was difficult to keep the tears from coming down the face"

Mr Howells said:"After a while, I would say maybe two hours, we managed to make enough of an entry point to catch hold of her feet and slowly drag her forward and eventually got her into the opening which was very small and got her on a stretcher.

Dug deep

"She had a couple of cuts and bruises and off she went to hospital."

Their team leader, station Commander Gwyn Lewis explained why they volunteer to help in disasters like Haiti.

"There's no sort of monetary value to it. The reward comes from rescuing a person such as Mia and that will stay with these firefighters for the rest of their lives.

DEC Cymru will meet Carwyn Jones and other AMs at the Senedd on Monday, urging communities in Wales to offer more support to the stricken country where the rescue operation has now officially ended.

The organisation's chair Jeff Collins thanked everyone in Wales who has helped so far.

"I'm looking forward to have the opportunity to thank every one person that has dug deep into their pockets and contributed towards this appeal," Mr Collins said.

"The remarkable generosity of the Welsh public has continued to make possible the vital work that is being done by our member agencies on the ground in Haiti.

"More and more water, food, household items and medical supplies are getting through to the earthquake survivors.

"These generous donations will not only greatly aid our immediate work, but also help us work with survivors to rebuild new lives from the ruins."

Islamic Relief - a member of the DEC - is one of the aid organisations currently on the ground providing aid where it is most needed.

Two Islamic Relief aid workers who have just returned from Haiti will also be present at the event at the Senedd in Cardiff on Monday.

On Wednesday, in a show of solidarity, 90 south Wales restaurateurs will be supporting the DEC appeal by donating 50% of their proceeds on the night for the victims of the earthquake.

The funds raised will contribute to essential emergency supplies required by the people of Haiti, including food, shelter and medical supplies.