Aid worker speaks of helping Haiti (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)
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Aid worker from Teddington speaks of his efforts to help Haiti
2:00pm Friday 29th January 2010 in News By Joanna Kilvington
Support: Teddington resident Matthew Carter has flown out to disaster-struck Haiti to offer his support to an aid agency
A Teddington resident has flown out to disaster-struck Haiti to offer his support to an aid agency.
Matthew Carter, 47, of Blagdon Walk, heads up the humanitarian department for the charity Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod).
He is currently in Haiti’s capital city Port-au-Prince to offer technical assistance, including planning and logistics for delivering food, water and medical care for survivors.
He said: “I’ve worked in the humanitarian field for just over 18 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Cafod’s local partners were able to respond within 24 hours of the earthquake hitting the capital, with distributions of food, water, blankets and tents. They plan to work directly in 20 camps and distribute aid through priests and religious groups working in 32 parishes.
The Catholic community in England and Wales has now raised £1.2m through Cafod for the earthquake crisis in Haiti.
Mr Carter said: “This money will support the scale up of humanitarian relief efforts, not just in Port-au-Prince but in areas out side of the capital.”
