International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda announced the additional funding for emergency food, water, sanitation, medical treatment, shelter and protection of vulnerable people. That brings the federal commitment to $135 million, including up to $50 million in matching funds for public donations to registered relief organizations. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said public donations exceed $30 million so far.
Canadian Forces personnel set to work in Jacmel, delivering food, water and medical assistance from HMCS Halifax offshore and through the DART — disaster assistance response team — which travelled from Port-au-Prince. The first soldiers also began arriving at the Jacmel airport.
"The first soldiers from Quebec, part of the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, are already on the ground and hundreds more are en route as we speak," army chief Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie said in an interview. By midnight Tuesday, he said, 1,000 Canadian Forces personnel and other Canadian officials will be in Haiti to help in the aftermath of the earthquake a week ago that has left tens of thousands of Haitians without homes or basic necessities.
"The environment is devastating," Leslie said. "All those poor people, with literally tens of thousands of dead, clamouring for help and support, the security situation is problematic, the distribution of humanitarian supplies is getting better with our presence, but where we're not — we being the international community and those who can help — it's very problematic."
Leslie said Canada is sending a shipload of heavy engineering equipment and heavy vehicles to Haiti on Thursday from Quebec and Canada is working with the U.S. government on getting the deepwater port of Port-au-Prince reopened so the equipment can be brought to shore.
"The big issue is the port," he said. He said the equipment will be brought ashore somehow. The Americans have amphibious assault craft that can carry heavy equipment but Canadians don't, he said.
Oda said the lion's share of the new funds, $60 million, is in response to a United Nations appeal for money for basic supplies and services. Another $11.5 million will go to non-government organizations such as CARE, Medecins du Monde, Save the Children, Oxfam Quebec, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Centre for International Studies and Co-operation and World Vision. Another $8.5 million is in response to an appeal from the International Federation of the Red Cross to pay for emergency help to an estimated 300,000 people.
"We are committed to playing a significant role in responding to the impact of this disaster, not only in these early days of rescue and relief operations, but also in addressing longer-term recovery and reconstruction needs," Oda said.
The relief funds are separate from what the military costs will total. Defence Minister Peter MacKay had no information about the military price tag when asked at a news conference Tuesday.
Leslie said the focus now is getting the job done.
"We go into crisis mode and we are absolutely focused like a laser beam on saving lives and getting as many of our troops there as we possibly can," he said. "We'll worry about the money in a couple of weeks."
The number of missing Canadians had gone down to 699 by Tuesday morning.
Source:canada.com/
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