First ShelterBoxes Arrive in Port au Prince - Pictures and Footage

LONDON, January 19 - The first ShelterBoxes have arrived in Port au Prince and hundreds more
are due to arrive later today.

The ShelterBox Response Team of David Eby (US), Wayne Robinson (US) and
Mark Pearson (UK), who have been in Haiti's capital since Thursday, took
delivery of the first ShelterBoxes at Port au Prince airport yesterday.

The team say twelve of these boxes will be used to build an emergency
field hospital at the airport.

'We are helping build a field hospital with these tents at the airport,'
said Mark Pearson. 'These are desperate conditions, amputations are happening
every half hour. There's an urgent need for tents at hospitals and this is
our first priority.'

ShelterBox Head of Operations John Leach said: 'The safety of our staff
in Haiti is of paramount importance.

'We are working with the agencies on the ground to ensure that
ShelterBoxes are not only distributed speedily and efficiently, but that our
team on the ground is able to work in a safe environment.'

Hundreds more boxes are due to arrive into Port au Prince later today
from Miami on a chartered aircraft. Thousands more ShelterBoxes are being
packed and shipped from ShelterBox HQ in the UK.

ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson said: 'The devastation in Haiti
has moved everyone here. We now have our boxes on the ground and it's a
privilege to help. The scale of devastation is huge.

'By the sheer grit and determination of our staff and volunteers we have
been able to respond in record time. Our thanks go to the teams of
volunteers, as well as to our donors, who have allowed us to do this.

'ShelterBox relies entirely on public donations and people's generosity.
We receive no institutional funding and no DEC money. I'd urge, if you can,
to help us.'

Public donations are vital to ShelterBox's continuing work around the
world. To make a donation please ring +44(0)300-0300-500 or go to
www.shelterbox.org to donate online and get the latest updates on the
charity's response to the Haiti earthquake.

If you can help support ShelterBox's work around the globe in any way,
great or small, please click here.

*For footage of ShelterBoxes arriving in Port au Prince and interviews
with our team on the ground in Haiti, ring Angelina Lambourn on
+44(0)1326-569782 or +44(0)7833-050295

    Angelina Lambourn
    Press Officer
    ShelterBox
    t. +44(0)1326-569782
    e. AngelinaL@shelterbox.org

Angelina Lambourn, Press Officer, ShelterBox, t. +44(0)1326-569782, e. AngelinaL at shelterbox.org