BA charters aid flight for Haiti

BA chief executive Willie Walsh described the humanitarian situation in capital city Port-au-Prince following the Haiti earthquake as “desperate,” adding: “We must do what we can to help.”

Haitian relief efforts have been given a welcome boost following news that British Airways is chartering a Boeing 747 capable of carrying 50 tonnes of aid to the Caribbean island.

The Red Cross has also raised £1 million from British donors within 36 hours of launching its appeal, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged a further £6 million of public funds.

But reports suggest Port-au-Prince Airport is experiencing bottlenecks, and three days after the Haitian earthquake aid flights are being forced to circle around the capital before landing.

With the true scope of the disaster now emerging, Haiti aid efforts are being stepped up and the offer by British Airways is just one of several pledges from airlines.

Estimates by the Red Cross that up to 50,000 people have died only lend an added sense of urgency to the Haiti relief effort, with the country’s poor infrastructure proving totally inadequate at dealing with the tragedy. Aid agencies fear a slow response could drive the Haiti death toll even higher.

“The scale of the earthquake is beyond belief, and we have to respond with no telephones, very little internet and no electricity,” a spokesperson for Oxfam explained to the press.

BA boss Mr Walsh also weighed in after announcing the decision to charter an aid flight, saying: “The situation in Haiti is desperate and we must do what we can to help. We have a Boeing 747 crewed and ready to fly and volunteer staff from across the airline prepared to support the rescue effort.

“Time is of the essence and we must move swiftly to help those devastated by this disaster.”

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) – an umbrella group for 13 UK aid agencies – has issued an urgent plea to Britons to support the Haiti relief effort. You can send a donation here.

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