Rescue team 'cannot afford Haiti mission'

[Robbien]

Source: BBC

A Scottish-based rescue organisation has warned that it faces bankruptcy if it sends a team to help survivors of the Haiti earthquake. The IRC, based in Grangemouth, has just £30,000 left in the bank. A rescue mission would cost at least £35,000.

. . .

IRC volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and generally take unpaid leave when they are deployed to a disaster zone.

"In the past, people put £24,000 on their Visa cards to fund a trip and came back with no idea how to pay it back - but no-one's that gung-ho any more," said Mr Jolly, who teaches intensive care nurses in Edinburgh. "If I get away for a week I usually take a £500 hit for it. People are more wary about putting their hand in their pockets now."

He said donations to the IRC had slowed as a result of the recession, and they were also less likely to receive free flights and food from businesses and governments.

. . .



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8456684.stm

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Mr Jolly, 39, said the IRC faced a stark decision. "It looks like if we make a decision to go to Haiti today, the charity will fold. But if we decide not to go then we are going against what we're constitutionally bound to do," he said. "I've been doing this for 12 years. To see it fold would be unbelievable. We chuck so much time into it - family life suffers, work life suffers." "I've been in tears on the phone this morning, talking to other members of the team," he added.


Meanwhile banksters the world over right now are determining how high their multi-million dollar bonuses will be.

[tridim]

1. A few bank executives could fund most of the rescue costs..

With just their taxpayer funded bonuses from THIS year.

Of course they wont donate a dime. Poor people don't even hit their radar.

[stray cat]

4. so could individual citizens

everyone in the US sends $20

[Lorien]

7. So your point is that those with nothing should send in the money

while the rich continue to sit on their billions? I'd love to send in $20, but that would mean BORROWING more money than I already have (if I could get credit) since I can find enough work to meet my basic bills each month. Enough is enough; tax the rich!

[Lorien]

6. A few? How about just one

bonuses range from the mid six figures to EIGHT!

[Bozita]

2. Some people say the banksters are doing God's work.

[avaistheone1]

5. Yes, and the people who said this are the banksters themselves.

[Bozita]

8. Goldman Sachs boss: 'bankers do God's work'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6524972/Goldman-Sachs-boss-bankers-do-Gods-work.html

Goldman Sachs boss: 'bankers do God's work'
Lloyd Blankfein, the chairman and chief executive, of Goldman Sachs, has claimed that bankers do "God's work".

[ashling]

13. That's mostly by their own admission

:P

[zonkers]

3. Wow, these are good people. Saving strangers at their own expense when they are not even megarich.

[fascisthunter]

10. that's how it usually goes...

if we had to wait for the megarich to do anything, we'd all die waiting.

[alfredo]

9. Here is their website:

http://www.intrescue.org/

You can donate through CAFAmerica. It is at the "How To Help" tab. Scroll down for the link.

[Turborama]

15. Thanks for the link. I thought the article was about the International Red Cross at 1st glance n/t

[alfredo]

16. At first glance, so did I.

[jwirr]

11. The volunteers are no doubt trained to work under these kind of

conditions. Maybe they could partner with another agency that needs workers and has the money. The giving to rescue charities has probably decreased for all of them though.

[redwitch]

12. Really sad story.

It hurts when you want to help but can't even help yourself. I hope that this story gets them much needed funding. Such good people!

[Prometheus Bound]

14. I was so proud of those guys when they came to Hong Kong to help out after the 2008 China earthquake

They're well trained and are ready to give up everything, including their jobs, and pay out of their own pockets if their expertise is needed in a disaster anywhere in the world.

Sadly, they couldn't get visas from HK to China in time so had to return home. Government red tape made it impossible.

They just want to save lives and they're well equipped to do so.

What a shame they can't raise the money to help out. They're the real deal. This is exactly the type of search and rescue mission they train for.

[sabrina 1]

17. They should put their organization's name on the list of those

who are accepting donations. I didn't anywhere in the article to send money to. I'm sure I can google it, but it makes it easier for people if they see right in the report. Maybe the BBC and/or Scottish TV could that for them. Every experienced person will be needed. I hope they get the money to get there.

[kestrel91316]

18. The good people of Scotland are pefectly capable of donating to the

ICRC or Doctors Without Borders or some such. They don't have to send their own team. We'll understand. Times are tough all over.

As the old poem goes:

Christmas is coming,
The goose is getting fat;
Please put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny,
A ha'penny will do.
If you haven't got a ha'penny
Then GOD BLESS YOU!

[Dulcinea]

19. In the US, American Airlines is flying rescuers to Haiti for free.

Maybe British Airways could follow suit? That would help at least a little.