ActionAid will be distributing over 200 tonnes of food to 9,000 people in Haiti from today.

Starting in the Mariani district of Port-au-Prince, flour, corn, rice, sugar, tinned fish and jerry cans will be distributed in places where ActionAid sponsored children live.

Jean Claude Fignole, ActionAid country director for Haiti, said: "We are really pleased to have been able to procure food from a local supplier in Haiti."

The food supplies are enough to last the recipients for two weeks and ActionAid is currently sourcing further supplies from Italy, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

ActionAid's assessment team has talked to people in the camps where it is working and found they already have some basic utensils to cook food.

"We will be supplementing this delivery with a household kit including cooking utensils, bedding, toothbrushes and sanitary towels for people who have nothing at all," added Mr Fignole, who is still sleeping in a tent outside his damaged house.

The team will work with community members to develop a system to distribute to all the people most in need. And ActionAid will be striving to buy from local farmers over the coming weeks.

This 200 tonnes of food represents the beginning of a programme which will continue for several months until a sustainable solution can be established. The objective is to guarantee food security for around 20,000 people.

ActionAid is coordinating its relief work with other aid agencies and the UN.

• Donate now to the ActionAid appeal.
• Donate now to the DEC appeal.