Earthquake Relief
Latest Update 24th March 2010
UPDATED MARCH 1ST 2011
Its hard to believe that its over a year now since the earthquake that hit Port au Prince Haiti and killed over 230,000 people. Lemon Aid have continued to target support to those most in need over the last year but have now stopped their specific post quake work supplying medicines and medical supplies to Haiti now that supply chains are once again operational across Haiti.
It was just 6 days after the earthquake that Lemon Aid sent their first team to Port Au Prince with 1500kg of essential medicines and dressings. The purpose of the trip was to assist in stocking a temporary field hospital set up by the Wesleyan Church in Petit Goave (near the quake epicentre) and maintain supplies of medicines at the Wesleyan hospital on the island of Lagonave. It had become apparent that the pharmacy supply chain in Haiti had been completely destroyed in the earthquake and supplying medicnes from the UK became the quickest and most cost efficient way of maintaing hospital and field hospital pharmacy supplies. The cost of the medicines in this trip alone was over £14,000 but the team set off believing that our supporters would donate sufficient funds to meet this cost. By the time that team 1 returned a week later all of the costs of the first trip were met and funds were already coming in for the next supply run.
Within 10 days of the return of team 1 Lemon Aid had team 2 on the road with 1500Kg of medicines. These medicines were specifically requested by the medical workers on the ground and were necessary to keep pharmacies in both locations well stocked.
As team 2 were on the ground they were able to send back lists of medicines that remained in short supply and Lemon Aid were able to procure these supplies. Thomas Cook agreed to allow Lemon Aid to carry 1500kg of medicines free of charge into the Dominican Republic with Lemon Aid then chartering a truck to take team three into Haiti across the border road.
A month later a 4th and final team were sent with around 1000kg of medicines that remained hard to find in country but by this stage a number of other agencies were begining to set up medicine distribution points and the numbers of patients coming to the field hospitals was diminishing.
The cost of all of the medicines taken to Haiti was covered by very kind donations from our friends and supporters across the UK and beyond. Every penny donated specifically to the Lemon Aid Earthquake appeal was used in one of these 4 trips and we are sp thankful for everything received.
Many many lives were saved as a result of supplying these medicines into the country and it would not have been possible without the incredible donations of our supporters.
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