For Release Upon Receipt - January 20, 2010
St. Augustine
Haiti – Urgent Message from the Vice Chancellor
A decision has been taken to mobilise a collective UWI response to the
humanitarian disaster in Haiti, in the wake of the recent earthquake
that has devastated that country. Accordingly, experts in several
fields - engineering, public health, social work and psychology - are
being assembled for deployment, in collaboration with the Caribbean
Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
I am also appealing to the entire University community, students as
well as staff members, to make a personal contribution to an emergency
fund being set up to facilitate further assistance to Haiti by the
University of the West Indies.
Please deposit your donations into the following bank accounts:
Cave Hill: RBC Savings Account Nr 0945-2524239
Mona: NCB Savings Account Nr 404141538
St Augustine: Republic Bank Chequing Acct Nr 160135528301
Donations of non-perishable food items, first-aid supplies, linen,
toiletries etc may also be made at various drop-off points being
announced in the media.
Any other suggestions you may have regarding other ways in which the
UWI can assist would be most welcome. Suggestions can be sent to
Those of you with expertise in any of the areas urgently needed in this
first response, whether in social work and psychology, engineering or
public health and are not already on the UWI Disaster Risk Reduction
Centre's database, please contact PVC Wayne Hunte, Office of Research,
pvcresearch@admin.uwi.tt or Professor Trevor Jackson, Director of the
DRRC, trevor.jackson@uwimona.edu.jm
The devastation occasioned by the earthquake in Haiti has deeply affected everyone in the region and I am confident that The UWI community will respond generously, in cash as well as in kind, to alleviate the suffering of the people of Haiti.
Consideration is also being given to ways in which the UWI can assist Haiti in the mid and long-term future.
Sincerely,
Professor E. Nigel Harris
Vice Chancellor
Marketing and Communications Department