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| Edinburgh students join Haiti relief effort |
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Originally published on January 26th, 2010 IN WAKE of the devastating earthquake in Haiti two weeks ago, several student groups at the University of Edinburgh have joined charitable organizations and governments around the world in raising funds to support the international relief effort.
The official death toll for the January 12th earthquake in Port-au-Prince has now surpassed 110,000, with estimates that it may reach 200,000. The UK Department for International Development has so far pledged over $25 million in humanitarian assistance, accounting for 4 per cent of the world total. Private donations of over $180 million have also been made by individuals and organization all over the world, and charities and governments have sent aid, in the form of equipment, military personnel and daily necessities. The Edinburgh Students’ Charities Appeal (ESCA) has placed donation collection tins in all Students Association shops and venues. Additionally, student society WaterAid Edinburgh have organized a fundraising meal at the Forest Cafe this Friday. The evening will also feature an ‘auction of promises’, in which society members will be auctioned to clean flats or chauffeur winning bidders around for a day. The Edinburgh University International Development Society, while not planning any events to deal directly with the current disaster in Haiti, urges students to stay involved with humanitarian projects. Controversially, a Facebook group entitled ‘No Shock Doctrine for Haiti’ was also launched last week. The group aims to exert public pressure to ensure Haitians a say in their future and to avoid ‘shock doctrine’, the idea put forward by author Naomi Klein that natural disasters are a chance to push through unpopular right wing economic reforms. The group, created by former EUSA President and People& Planet organiser Adam Ramsay, has attracted over 25,000 members so far. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies urged those who wish to help to donate money, saying: “Decades of experience has proven the best way to get the right materials to those in need as quickly as possible is to make money available to the Red Cross teams directly managing the response. "That way they can acquire exactly what materials they need most, ensure it’s appropriate for the climate, culture and other conditions, and is acquired from suppliers as close to the scene as possible. "This saves time and cuts the cost of transport, and ultimately does the most good with your financial gift.” The media has since been overrun with opinions about how best to facilitate Haiti’s redevelopment, with most commentators agreeing that the disaster should serve as a call to action to finally solve the nation’s multitude of problems, which have included deforestation, extreme poverty and political instability.
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