News

OTTAWA (January 15, 2010) - CEP’s Humanity Fund has contributed $25,000 to Oxfam Quebec to assist with emergency aid, following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and it will look at making a further contribution toward the country’s re-construction.

The earthquake, which struck Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, has caused catastrophic destruction in the western hemisphere's most impoverished nation.  Multiple buildings have collapsed, including a hospital, a hotel, and the UN building.  Thousands of people have been left homeless and without basic needs.

Oxfam Quebec has a long experience in Haiti.  It has an emergency team in the capital responding with public health, water, and sanitation services to prevent the spread of disease.  In addition, they are rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation where our assistance is most needed. 

Joe Gargiso, Vice-President of the Humanity Fund, notes that the Fund has a long history in Haiti, most recently working with Quebec-based Plan Nagua which promotes international solidarity and human rights and supports education, anti-poverty and sustainable development projects in several countries, including Haiti, which is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with more than 80% of its population living in poverty.

Dave Coles, President of the Humanity Fund, says the humanitarian assistance has long been a key objective of the Fund.  In recent months, the Fund has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Oxfam for emergency relief from environmental disasters in the Asia-Pacific and the Horn of Africa Famine, as well as to Medicines sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) for the world’s most underreported disasters. 

President Coles encourages CEP Locals to join with the Fund and contribute to Oxfam Quebec or other international aid organizations.

The CEP Humanity Fund is a registered charitable foundation established by the CEP to help people facing disasters and poverty and promote decent work and equitable development in Canada and around the world.

Oxfam is an international development agency working with over 100 partner organizations in Africa, the Americas and Asia. They work with partners to tackle the root causes of poverty, injustice and inequality, helping to create self-reliant and sustainable communities, with a specific focus on women.