Leicester Mercury
Thursday, January 14, 2010, 09:30

Leicestershire charity workers and campaigners are backing a huge international appeal to bring aid to up to 3m people devastated by the earthquake in Haiti.

The impoverished Caribbean country was rocked on Tuesday by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake – a force 35 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb and the largest ever recorded in the area. Hospitals, United Nations buildings, a prison and the presidential palace in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have been destroyed, along with tens of thousands of homes.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies said they feared up to 3m people were affected. Last night the Haitian PM said more than 100,000 people had died.

Unicef said at least one out of every five buildings had been destroyed in the city of Jacmel, which has 50,000 inhabitants.

Oxfam announced its staff and shops would be joining an appeal to raise millions of pounds.

At the stores in Market Street, Leicester, and Market Street, Loughborough, handwritten posters were put up in the shop's windows appealing for help yesterday .

Lisa Renshaw, manager of the Loughborough store, said: "This earthquake is grim news for the poor people of Haiti. We are calling for the generous support of the UK public to help us save lives."

Oxfam has a 100-strong team working across Haiti – including 15 emergency specialists – and will be responding with public health, water and sanitation services to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.

It also has links with a large network of community volunteers who can get aid to affected people quickly.

The charity has emergency stocks in Panama and Mexico – both about 1,000 miles away – and in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and is primed to send them to the quake zone if needed.

Penny Lawrence, Oxfam's international director, said: "We have a strong and highly experienced team in Haiti, one which responded to the hurricanes that wreaked havoc in the country in 2008. It is ready to respond to the devastation caused by this horrific earthquake. With major buildings destroyed, it is likely that less well-constructed homes will be even more seriously affected."

The earthquake struck Haiti at 4.53pm local time on Tuesday (9.53pm GMT) and was said to be the most powerful to hit the country in more than 100 years.

The misery has been compounded by a series of recent natural disasters, including hurricanes, tropical storms and floods made worse by soil erosion and deforestation.

The last disaster was in 2008, when the country was hit by hurricanes, bringing widespread flooding and leaving hundreds dead and thousands in need of humanitarian aid.

Among the county groups offering help is Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations.

Spokesman Suleman Nagdi said "We are profoundly shocked to hear of this terrible earthquake that hit Haiti.

"Our heartfelt thoughts go especially to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones during the calamity.

"I am confident that, as a nation, we will once again all stand ready to help Haiti with urgent relief and assistance in this hour of need."

People can help by calling Oxfam 0300 200 1999, by going online and visiting shops.