The Spanish Ambassador in Haiti, Mr. Juan Fernández Trigo, received this morning at 9:30am, local time, at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, a new shipment of 39 tons of medical supplies for people affected by the cholera epidemic in Haiti and to limit its spread. Was present the General Coordinator of the Technical Cooperation of the Spanish Agency for International Development (AECI), Carmen Rodriguez, and representatives of NGOs with which AECID working in the field.
This cargo, of 37 tons is composed of sera, rehydration salts and universal infusion sets, to be delivered to the NGO Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières) in Haiti for the treatment of patients affected by cholera. The other two tons consist of pumps and water storage tanks, among others. This equipment will be used for activities related to water and sanitation conducted by the Spanish Red Cross for prevention of disease.
By adding cargo of today Spain has sent a total of 90 tonnes of equipment to Haiti : previously, arrived three air shipments of over 34 tons of essential medicines for the treatment of disease and the water purification equipment, a maritime shipment was made on last weekend from the Port of Tarragona with 17 tonnes of serum.
Early activation of the Spain Fund (PAHO), has enabled the World Health Organization set up in the early hours, teams of attentions and diagnostic in the country face the first signs of the epidemic.
In addition, through the Emergency Fund that the Fund for Cooperation for Water and Sanitation of AECID (FCAS, its acronym in Spanish), has made available to the National Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation (DINEPA) of Haiti, A delivery of 99.5 million water purification tablets that cover the needs of chlorinated water for more than two million people has already been done. Added to this, the supply of 7.8 tons of HTH (chlorine powder), 43.810 boxes of soap and 2,200 kg of oral rehydration salts. Recently, the AECI and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) decided to extend the Emergency Fund to purchase 80 million additional water purification tablets. They also decided to promote the mass purification of water in the country.
