NEWS: Hopes for Haiti

By MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
14 January 2010

A RESCUE charity has revealed it cannot go to Haiti to aid in the earthquake relief operations because it is running short of funds after a lack of donations.

International Rescue Corps (IRC), which has volunteers throughout Scotland including the Lothians, said the recession, government restrictions on travelling for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and airline costs have left it grounded.

The charity is now appealing for donations to help top up its coffers.

IRC volunteer Derek Jolly, 39, a nurse at Edinburgh's Sick Kids Hospital, said the charity may be on the verge of folding unless donations start coming in soon.

It was left virtually penniless after its last aid mission, following the Indonesian earthquake in September, cost GBP 40,000.

He said: "I was in tears when I heard we weren't going to Haiti.

"We're a small charity so we're used to scraping the money together, and after every mission we've always seen an increasing trickle of donations that would see us through the next mission, but for some reason this hasn't been happening recently.

"Operations director Willie McMartin has put his heart and soul into this organisation for 29 years, and while he's putting a brave face on it I think he's terrified we may be close to the end."

Mr McMartin said the recession may have contributed to the downturn in the donations.

He said: "Because the media moved on very quickly from the [Indonesian] disaster, the International Rescue Corps didn't get as much exposure as we would like so we have only received GBP 3,500 worth of donations since September.

"Commercial airlines charge GBP 69 per kilo of excess luggage one way, and we usually carry 1,500 kilos of equipment so you can see how much this is going to cost."

Volunteer Paul Baxter, 38, a team leader for Edinburgh city council's environmental wardens, said

: "We've had to take the decision to leave this one to the many other competent international organisations heading there in the hope that we can gather our funds together for a future mission."

IRC was dealt a further blow after the Department for International Development (DFID) restricted international aid flights to UK fire and rescue crews only.

Mercy Corps, whose UK headquarters is based in Sciennes, has confirmed it is sending a team to Haiti, while Oxfam Scotland has launched an appeal for millions of pounds of aid money as it began its response to the earthquake.

For information on how to donate to the IRC visit www. intrescue.org or send a cheque payable to 'International Rescue Corps', Office 2b, 1 Kerse Road, Grangemouth, FK3 8HW.