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River City Stars Lend a Hand for Haiti

River City's Sally Howitt and Libby McArthur help out with SCIAF's Haiti Appeal (Photo: Paul McSherry)

Soap stars Libby McArthur and Sally Howitt visited SCIAF to lend a hand with our Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

The pair, who play Gina Hamilton and Scarlet Mullen in River City, helped staff open mail from supporters and answered calls from members of the public wanting to make donations to the rescue operation.

Click here to make a donation

Libby said: “We’ve come to help answer the phones and open the mail at SCIAF today because what has happened in Haiti is terrible and we want to help out in any way we can. The response to SCIAF’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal has been fantastic. Calls, online donations and post are coming in from all over Scotland to help the survivors of this terrible disaster. The Scots are always so generous but I’d urge everyone to continue giving whatever they can.”

Generous people from across Scotland have donated almost £250,000 to SCIAF’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal so far but more money is urgently needed for the ongoing rescue mission.

Up to 3 million people have been hurt or left homeless following the disaster (Photo: REUTERS/Kena Betancur, courtesy of www.alertnet.org)

Sally added: “When something awful like this happens you might think that there is nothing you can do to help. But by supporting charities like SCIAF you really can make a difference. It is good to know that a Scottish agency is directly involved in helping to get relief to the many thousands of people in urgent need.”

SCIAF is working with Caritas Internationalis – the global network of development charities – to ensure that help is reaching people on the ground. This includes: food, water, hygiene kits, blankets, tents, water purification tablets, medicine and fuel. Two mobile operating theatres and six mobile clinics have also been set up and specialist staff and further aid is on the way.

SCIAF’s Chief executive Paul Chitnis said: “I would really like to thank Libby and Sally for coming along today and offering their support. We have seen an incredible response from people across Scotland in the wake of this terrible disaster. These vital funds will ensure aid continues to get to those in need so that they can survive, recover and rebuild. I would to appeal to the public to keep doing whatever they can to help agencies such as SCIAF so that we can continue to deliver emergency aid and support Haiti’s long term recovery.”

Click here to make a donation to the ongoing rescue opperation.