shelterbox

ShelterBox net spreads beyond Port au Prince

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has delivered 250 ShelterBoxes to Jacmel in the south of Haiti.

SRT members Tom Newman (UK) and Greg Rogers (UK) travelled to the area last week to ensure the effective distribution of the ShelterBoxes to people in desperate need of emergency shelter.

ShelterBox Head of Operations, John Leach, said: ‘We are continuing to spread our net beyond Port au Prince. Last week a newly arrived two man team comprising Greg Rogers and Tom Newman headed south to Jacmel.

‘They’ve wasted no time in assessing needs and distributing the boxes. Tom, who’s on his first deployment, has been doing a great job of running logistics from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and now has his chance to get out in the field.’

Aid for more than 80,000 people has now been distributed in Haiti and enough aid for thousands more will start arriving at the end of February.

Key partnerships

In Port au Prince, the SRT are continuing to work with a range of partners to ensure ShelterBoxes reach the people most in need.

SRT member Mark Boeck (UK), who is currently heading up the team, said: ‘This operation has differed from other deployments due to the high density of the populace in Port au Prince.

‘The lack of available space to pitch our tents and the scale of the disaster has meant that we’ve had to adapt the way in which we distribute aid. We’ve been working with a large collection of organizations, from small orphanages to large NGOs such as Handicap International and Medecins Sans Frontieres as well as the US military, whilst continuing our excellent partnership with the Miami University Field Hospital.’

SRT member Dave Ray (UK) added: ‘I’ve been liasing with ELIN Relief Association (IRE) to build a camp of 74 ShelterBox tents in the Tabarre area. Chaplain Christy Smith told me that a week ago there was a great feeling of resentment and anger within the camp. ‘But now, thanks to ShelterBox, these people have found hope.’

One of the residents in this camp, Janine Cazdeu, told the SRT that she was ‘very glad’ to receive a ShelterBox tent as now her baby does not have to sleep under the sky. Fellow resident, Esther Henry, added that now she has a ShelterBox tent, her four-day old baby, Shakira, will be safe.

Head of Operations John Leach has now returned from Port au Prince to ShelterBox HQ in the UK and has praised the work of the teams on the ground, ShelterBox’s volunteers and all the supporters around the world.

‘I’d like to say a huge thank you to all ShelterBox supporters worldwide who have contributed to this massive effort,’ he said. ‘Without the contributions from donors, Rotary Clubs, schools, scouts, groups and individuals around the world and the commitment of our army of volunteers, none of this would be possible.’

Help for thousands en route to Haiti

A child in a Port au Prince hospital. Photograph: Mark Pearson

Emergency shelter provision for more than 30,000 people has now been pledged to the people of Haiti with more due to follow but the logistical nightmare in Haiti continues.

1,700 ShelterBoxes have already been dispatched and a further 1,600 will leave from the UK this week directly for Port au Prince, Haiti. Warehouse volunteers in the UK have worked tirelessly packing the boxes. This is a total of 3,300 ShelterBoxes with more to follow.

The ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) on the ground is continuing its work with ACTED and local Rotarians in order to ensure the fastest and most effective distribution of aid.

David Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and Mark Pearson (UK), who have been in Port au Prince since Thursday, have commenced training sessions with their contacts on the ground to help them deliver and distribute the ShelterBoxes.

While there has been no confirmation of ShelterBoxes arriving in Port au Prince logistics teams in the UK, the ShelterBox Logistics team in Miami and the SRT in Haiti are doing everything within their power to ensure the boxes reach Haiti as quickly as possible.

ShelterBox Head of Operations John Leach said: ‘The people in Haiti need everything now. We’re doing all we can to land emergency shelter provision in Port au Prince but we’re mindful of not adding to the logistical nightmare on the ground.

‘This is a massive logistical challenge and that is why we have a team in Miami helping coordinate the logistical effort.’

SRT members Mark Dyer, John Lacquey, Steven Tonkinson (all US) and Ian Neal (UK) have met up with ShelterBoxes sent to Miami on Virgin Atlantic flights. Ian Neal will be heading to Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic to run further logistics from there and work with the Response Team in Port-au-Prince.

                                    
                   ShelterBoxes arrive in Miami, USA on a Virgin Atlantic flight

The UN estimates that 200,000 families, up to one million people, are in need of immediate shelter in Haiti.

ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson says: ‘This is as bad as we’ve seen it. There’s never been a bigger need. We’re receiving support and donations from all corners of the globe and from people who come from all walks of life.

‘ShelterBox relies entirely on public donations and people’s generosity. We receive no institutional funding and no DEC money. I’d urge, if you can, to help us.’

930 boxes dispatched; 1000 being packed; Virgin helping with Transport

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members Dave Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and Mark Pearson (UK) are on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti.

  The team arrived in the island’s capital on Thursday, January 14 and have already been in contact with government officials, ACTED and Rotarians in the country.

 

The Response Team, who are completely self-sufficient, have set up base with the help of a Haitian Rotarian.

Speaking from Port au Prince, David Eby said: ‘We’re working hard to resolve security, logistics and communications. The city is totally devastated. Our host told us, “There is no more Haiti .”’

 The situation on the ground remains fraught with the damaged infrastructure in Haiti hampering the aid effort but ShelterBox is doing everything within its power to ensure aid reaches Haiti imminently.

 ShelterBox’s Head of Operations John Leach said: ‘We spoke with our team in Haiti this morning and already they’ve been working with other aid agencies and the government to assess where ShelterBoxes are most needed. ‘Our priority is now getting logistics in and doing all we can to get it on the island. We’re sending a ShelterBox Logistics team into Miami to work and coordinate logistics into Haiti from there.’

ShelterBox’s Logistics Manager Richard Lewis added: ‘We’re doing everything we can to make sure emergency aid reaches the people of Haiti.

‘The situation is changing by the minute and we’re exploring every single avenue available to us in order to make sure the aid gets on the ground as quickly as possible.’

 The ShelterBox Logistics team, made up of SRT members Mark Dyer (US), John Lacquey (US) and Ian Neal (UK), will meet a consignment of ShelterBoxes being flown into Miami, USA and run the logistics into Haiti from there.

930 ShelterBoxes have already been dispatched and are en route to Haiti while another 1,000 are being packed today at ShelterBox HQ by ShelterBox’s team of volunteers.  Virgin Atlantic are supporting the relief effort by flying hundreds of the ShelterBoxes on their planes.

 Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, said: ‘Everyone who has seen the sheer destruction in Haiti over the last few days will have been moved to help in any way they can.

‘We will fly in as much aid as possible so that the agencies on the ground  can respond to the needs of everyone in Haiti whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy.’

 

 

With the need in Haiti growing each day, there are millions of people in need of emergency shelter. ShelterBox Founder Tom Henderson, OBE, says support at this time is crucial.

‘The support we’ve seen in the last few days has been staggering,’ he said. ‘It’s all hands on deck for ShelterBox right across the globe. People in Haiti need our help and we stop until they get it.  If you can help, in any way at all, I’d urge you to do so.’  

ShelterBox Response Team in India

700 homes have been affected but many more are too dangerous to live in

ShelterBox is on the ground in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India after mudslides, triggered by massive flooding, hit the region.

Reports say close to 4,000 people have been affected and 700 homes have been damaged or destroyed. ShelterBox Response Team member Stuart Oates (UK) is in India and says many homes have been completely washed away by the floods.

"There are areas where houses were but they’ve totally gone. Many people only got themselves out. There’s also the problem of almost totally intact houses which people will not sleep in due to the unstable land and the threat of more flooding which might make the rivers unexpectedly rise again," he said.

Stuart Oates will soon be joined SRT member Adrian Sumner (UK) who is flying out from the UK. 150 ShelterBoxes have been packed by ShelterBox volunteers at ShelterBox HQ and are awaiting clearance before they are dispatched.

In India, ShelterBox are working closely with the Rotary Club of Kalimpong after receiving a plea for help from them.

ShelterBox responds to Filipino Tropical Storm

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is being deployed to the Philippines to help those affected by Tropical Storm Feria which hit the country on 23 June. The team, led by Peter Pearce, will leave from Australia and oversee the distribution of 80 ShelterBoxes which will be taken from prepositioned stock in Melbourne. According to latest reports, 1,340 homes were totally destroyed by the storm and another 11,354 partially destroyed. More than 100,000 people have been affected. "The storm caused considerable damage to vulnerable communities," says Operations Manager Peter Sykes. "The team will deliver aid to those who are most in need."

Latest SRT training course completed

THURSDAY 11 JUNE, HELSTON: The latest 9-day training ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) training course ended on 7 June with 14 of the 16 candidates reaching the finishing line. Among the successful candidates was Tony Zhang, ShelterBox’s first SRT volunteer from China. The other candidates came from the UK, New Zealand, US and Canada. “There was a great mix of people with a variety of backgrounds and nationalities on the course,” says Pete Sykes, ShelterBox Operations Manager. “I am confident they will all prove to be valuable SRT members in the months and years ahead.”

 

ShelterBox responds to Cyclone Aila

Thursday 28 May, BANGLADESH: Two hundred ShelterBoxes are being sent to Bangladesh to give emergency shelter to those affected by Cyclone Aila which hit the south of the country on 25 May. The ShelterBoxes, which will give help to up to 2,000 people, are being despatched from prepositioned stock held at Birmingham Airport and are expected to arrive in the country by 1 June. A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is due to leave for Bangladesh shortly to identify those most in need and coordinate aid distribution. The SRT volunteers are Stuart Oates (UK), Pat Prendergast (UK), Owen Smith (NZ) and Ron Noseworthy (Canada). According to latest reports, more than 200 people have been killed by the cyclone and 600,000 displaced.

 

Additional aid sent ot Pakistan

Wednesday 27 May, PAKISTAN: Volunteers at the Helston HQ have been packing an additional 250 ShelterBoxes to be sent to Pakistan to assist those who have fled their homes because of the conflict in the north west of the country. The latest shipment of aid is due to arrive in Islamabad by the end of the month. ShelterBox Response Team member Mark Pearson (UK) is in the country to coordinate the aid distribution. He is currently overseeing the allocation of 250 ShelterBoxes, 224 relief tents, 250 heavy duty tents and 380 ‘family kits’ of essential equipment which are already in Pakistan. “The need for ShelterBox is massive. In total there are 1.88 million registered displaced people since the conflict began with little or no shelter available for them,” says Mark. “I went to one registration point and they received 1,200 people in one day and that was a quiet day. The situation is so bad. In government buildings close to the conflict area there are three families (90 people) living in each room. The conditions are horrendous.”

ShelterBoxes sent to Philipines

Thursday 14 May, PHILIPPINES: One hundred ShelterBoxes are being despatched to the Philippines to give shelter to people affected by typhoons Chan-Hom and Kujira which struck the north of the country earlier this month. The boxes are being taken from pre-positioned stock in Melbourne. On arrival in Manila they will be trucked to Pangasinan Province, which bore the brunt of the typhoons. The government estimates that 13,881 homes in the province have been totally destroyed and 10,969 partially destroyed. The boxes will be distributed by ShelterBox Response Team volunteers Peter Pearce (Aus) and Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ). ShelterBox is working in the country with the National Disaster Co-ordination Council and local Rotarians. 

First ShelterBoxes distributed in Sri Lanka

Wednesday 13 May, SRI LANKA: 224 ShelterBoxes are being distributed today in Menik Farm (Zone 3) in the Vanni region to give shelter to vulnerable IDPs with special needs who have escaped the fighting in the area. An additional 224 ShelterBoxes are due to arrive in Menik Farm by 16 May. ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteers John Mackie (US) and John Cordell (US) are supervising the distribution. “We are working closely with our partners on the ground to get the ShelterBoxes despatched as soon as we can,” says John Mackie. “We will be giving much needed shelter to the most vulnerable people who have been forced to leave their homes because of the fighting.” ShelterBox is working in Sri Lanka with local Rotarians, Habitat for Humanity, the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations. “We are continuing to assess the situation on the ground on a daily basis and will send additional assistance if it is needed,” says ShelterBox Operations Manager Pete Sykes. 

Shelterbox reacts to Typhoons in Philipines

Tuesday 12 May, PHILIPPINES: A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has been sent to assess the impact of typhoons Chan-Hom and Kujira which have struck the country in the past week. SRT volunteers Peter Pearce (Aus) and Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) will be working with the local National Disaster Coordinating Council to assess the need for emergency shelter in the country. Typhoon Chan-Hom struck the north of the country on 7 May killing 48 people and destroying more than 6,000 homes, according to media reports. A week earlier Typhoon Kujira killed 27 people and left more than 50,000 homeless. “We will assess the situation and then decide on our level of response,” says ShelterBox Operational Manager Pete Sykes.