Haiti was hit by a devastating 7.2 magnitude quake, with at least 1,200 people dead

The British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to help the people of Haiti.

The Caribbean island was hit by the 7.2 magnitude quake on Saturday (14 August), which was larger than the earthquake which struck 11 years ago, killing an estimated 200,000 people.

Officials have confirmed more than 1,200 people have died, an unknown number are missing and at 5,700 have been injured.

The disaster compounds problems facing the impoverished nation, which is already reeling from a political crisis following the assassination of its president last month. It is feared Tropical Storm Grace could inflict further chaos when it is due to arrive on the island tomorrow (Tuesday 17 August).

The British Red Cross has launched a Haiti Earthquake Appeal to raise money for those affected.

Luke Tredget, head of emergencies for the British Red Cross, said: “With hundreds dead, many more injured and people still trapped, the situation in Haiti is extremely serious. We’re hearing from our teams in the region that hospitals have been damaged, and are totally overwhelmed due to the number of injured patients coming in.

“Elsewhere bridges and major roads having been hit by the earthquake and landslides have made them impassable.

“Aftershocks are still happening and with a tropical storm growing in the Atlantic, due to hit Haiti on Tuesday, the search and rescue effort is extremely urgent.

“We’ve launched the Haiti Earthquake Appeal to help fund Red Cross emergency teams to get there as quickly as possible, to provide emergency healthcare to the injured, and basic supplies to those who have been displaced in a country that was already tackling multiple challenges.”