The ShelterBox Trust is a registered UK charity that provides emergency aid for victims of natural and other disasters anywhere in the world.
Since operations began in January 2001, they have helped an estimated 500,000 people and worked in more than 40 countries – responding to earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, volcanoes etc.
ShelterBox was set up by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard and all aid is distributed from its base in Cornwall. The charity is supported by international affiliates set up by Rotary clubs in various other countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and the USA.
The charity's President is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. For details of recent deployments and other events, please visit the latest news pages.
Watch a BBC interview with ShelterBox HERE
ShelterBox in Burma
The situation to date
May 6th - Myanmar (Burma): ShelterBox responds immediately to the devastating cyclone to hit Myanmar. 22,000 lives are reported to have been lost and 95% of houses are destroyed as the cyclone swept in-land after several days at sea. 224 boxes left from the pre-positioned site in Dubai over the weekend, 220 boxes have left from Melbourne, Australia and a further 200 boxes with two tents each were packed this morning at the ShelterBox HQ in Helston, Cornwall. A team of four SRT members are making arrangements to assist with the difficult distribution of vital aid.
May 7th - Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy Delta on Saturday is now reported to have killed close to 22,500 and left 41,000 missing. ShelterBox today responses by continuing to pack a further 200 boxes bringing the total number of tents to 1044 - the team of four ShelterBox Response Team members are on their way. Take a look at how a SRT operates HERE.
May 8th - Myanmar: ShelterBox team of four response members are safely on the ground, the boxes have been located at the airport and at first light the SRT's will be assessing the much needed distribution.
May 9th - Myanmar: ShelterBox has successful delivered over £300,000 worth of survival aid - however much more is needed. ShelterBox plans to charter an airplane to get a further 1000 boxes to the desperate people of Burma in the worst hit areas and much more as the donations come in. As one of the first aid organisations into the country who also obtained visas and a clear and helpful path from the Embassy, ShelterBox is in an ideal position help.
May 12th-13th, Myanmar: ShelterBox has permission to land its charter plane at Yangon Airport. On board are the first two US ShelterBox Response Team members to join ShelterBox's in-country team. ShelterBox's four man team who have been in Yangon for five days with 644 boxes of vital aid have confirmed that the boxes containing tents, mosquito nets, tools, water purification tablets and other essential equipment are now being distributed into the Delta region by the Burmese authorities.
A further delivery of ‘Disaster Relief Aid’ consisting of 1000 boxes is to be flown direct from East Midlands Airport on the evening of the 14th May. ShelterBox has chartered a plane through DHL and confirms the clearance to land for this vital aid along with two American SRT members; Rotarian Patrick Olson (Michigan) and David Eby (Nashville) an experienced SRT who will replenish the UK team.
Over the past five days the four man team on the ground has worked tirelessly with the services to get the aid moving, Cornish fireman Ian Neal (team leader) created a ‘train the trainer’ session with the Burmese fire services and authorities and although progress has been slow it has been positive as a ‘people to people’ link has been established.
And Now in China as well!
Tuesday 20th May - China: Two SRT's Pat Prendergast (Swindon) and Tom Lay (Somerset) are now on their way from Beijing to Chengdu, they will meet with one other international SRT member Peter Clouting (Aus), they are travelling into a disaster area the size of Spain.
The two SRT's stood for a 3 minute silence in Tiananmen Square yesterday along with thousands of mourners and explained back to HQ, "that the need for vital immediate relief aid such as 'ShelterBox' is essential at this critical time as thousands of people need shelter and are exposed to the elements in a state of shock."
Back at HQ the relief effort to get to the most needy within the rescue period is on high alert, volunteers have again been packing around the clock. Tom Henderson, founder & CEO, will travel in the morning, to the Chinese Embassy to co-ordinate the transportation of as many boxes as donors can give.
Latest statics suggest that the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck southwest China on May 12, killed more than 14,500 people and has injured thousands more in one town alone. A 5-magnitude 'after shock' shook the Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu days later where the ShelterBox Response Team members are headed. Reports of more aftershocks and heavy rain loom over the relief effort and the team on the ground.
Thursday 22nd May - Myanmar: ShelterBox can confirm that the majority of the ShelterBox tents have now been used in the two worst hit disaster areas of Labutta & Bogale. Considering the circumstances the first stage of the mission was completed; getting the most boxes of aid into the country in the initial stages of the disaster. Importantly a realistic pipeline for more ShelterBoxes to enter the country under the guidance of the local authorities has now been established.
Tuesday 27th May - CHINA: The immediate response by ShelterBox of 800 boxes to China is finally reaching some of the Sichuan Provinces worst hit villages. The distribution of the first 200 boxes began today by the 4-man ShelterBox Response Team on the ground. The first consignment of boxes where split into two lots of 100.
Pat Prendergast, Team Leader, reported on the two villages of Pengzhou & Bailu that the aid is reaching, he comments, “tents are up and the locals are extremely happy, they are no doubt going to be under canvas for sometime, ShelterBox tents are creating an excellent base.” He adds, “The Chinese people we have met have been brilliant, sadly though we can only help a few thousand of this vast population – more tents are desperately needed.”
One SRT, Tom Lay reported “The people are too scared to live in the town and have spread themselves along the mountain pass, we spoke to the Mayor of a small community who were in need of 3000 tents, but he said people further up the mountain were in more desperate need and we should use the ShelterBox equipment there, an attitude of the people here that they have all joined together to help each other.”
Back at HQ in Cornwall the volunteers are busily unpacking a mixed selection of tents supplied from Vango who are pulling all the stops out to supply as many tents as possible, ironically back to the country of origin. Volunteers are the life blood of ShelterBox and the commitment to help is certainly what is driving this large scale logistics operation forward. The unpacking and re-stocking and the swift turn around in the warehouse is what makes the immediate response possible. In Chengdu, the base camp for the ShelterBox Response Team, several aftershocks have been experienced – the highly motivated and trained responders are coping well and reporting to HQ on a daily basis.
Two SRT's return to Garissa, Kenya to find tents in good shape!
Graham Higginson and Andrew Biss (both from Cornwall) returned to Kenya during May to assess the ShelterBox tents that were distributed during the severe river floods 18 months ago. The tents have alleviated the re-settlement of the locals who moved from the flood plains. This is Graham's third mission to help in North East Kenya, his trip with newly qualified Andrew Biss included visiting the internally displaced people at the recently established Nakuru camp, 200km North West of Nairobi and the 190,000 (approx) Somalian refuges at Daddab.
Thursday 29th May- CHINA: A further 650 tents left ShelterBox HQ yesterday with 650 planned to leave today and 700 due to leave immediately from the tent manufacturers warehouse in Shanghai.
Tuesday 10th June - CHINA: ShelterBox is currently operating in the Qingchuan area 8hrs North East of Chengdu. Some of the remote mountain villages surrounding Qingchuan have received ShelterBoxes. A third ShelterBox Response Team are ready to deploy and should arrive for an in-country handover with team leader Greg Rogers in the next 48hrs. Team three includes one Australian member Paul Robinson and two UK members Graham Henderson & Mike Grenslade. Operations Manager Lasse Petersen commented on the great assistance the China Charity Federation and Rotary have been to ShelterBox throughout this series of deployments.
Tuesday 10th June - BELIZE: Two US ShelterBox Response Team members Wayne Robinson & John Mackie have made an initial assessment of the needs of the people of Belize following tropical storm 'Arthur' which caused flooding to populated areas.
Tuesday 10th June - MYANMAR: ShelterBox continues to be active in supporting the victims of Cyclone Nargis... plans to return are underway.
Wednesday 25th June - CHINA: The major earthquake which struck Sichuan province in China on May 12 caused fatalities exceeding 80,000 with an estimated 5 million homeless or displaced. ShelterBox personnel were able to obtain visas with assistance and support from Beijing Rotary Club and the China Charity Federation. ShelterBox Operations Manager Lasse Petersen gives his progress update, "ShelterBox initially sent 800 ShelterBoxes but thereafter further ramped up support for China earthquake victims with total delivery now in excess of 4,400 tents. (Some tents were able to be sent directly by rail from our tent manufacturers in Shanghai). Four SRT teams to date have been deployed in China including 16 SRT members from UK, Australian and Canada. Distribution of assistance for China is currently continuing."
Thursday 26th June - MYANMAR: Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in early May leaving an estimated 150,000 dead and over 2 million left homeless and having lost their livelihood as 500,000 acres of rice farmland areas were swamped by a large seawater tidal surge. To summarize our progress in Myanmar Operation Manager Lasse Petersen says, "While the UN and most NGO’s could not gain access into Myanmar, ShelterBox was able to; immediately obtain as many visa’s as we wanted for our volunteers, bring almost 100 tonnes of ShelterBoxes into the Myanmar and be involved in delivery of boxes and establishing ShelterBox tent camps in some of the areas in the Irrawaddy Delta worst affected by Cyclone Nargis." He adds, "Initially ShelterBox sent 648 boxes. (200 boxes had 2 tents hence total was 848 tents). Thereafter ShelterBox chartered a DC10 from East Midlands to Yangon to deliver a further 1050 ShelterBoxes (Approx. total commitment so far provides shelter for almost 20,000)." To summarize to date 8 SRT’s have deployed in Myanmar including SRT’s from UK, USA & Australia. ShelterBox holds visa’s for several other SRT’s and currently has personnel in Myanmar with further aid delivery to disaster victims in progress.
Monday 30th June - MYANMAR: Packing has commenced in the warehouse today as ShelterBox plans to revisit Myanmar at the request from ShelterBox Response Team members on the ground. It is confirmed that the need for continued aid is still vital. The monsoon season now follows the devastating Cyclone Nargis making the already desperate situation unbearable for the surviving victims. ShelterBox will respond again with wood burning stoves, schools boxes (approximately 4,000 schools destroyed), tents and boxes (currently used by the fishermen for storage of fish).
Thursday 21st August - MYANMAR: Three months on from Cyclone Nargis, ShelterBox's last team in Myanmar has returned. ShelterBox is thought to have been the first aid agency to enter Myanmar after the disaster struck in May this year. Five successive ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT) were deployed to Myanmar to deliver the aid. SRT member Ian Neal was in the first team to enter the country, and also in ShelterBox’s last team to leave, arriving at the charity’s HQ yesterday. Firefighter and SRT member Ian Neal, who was accompanied by GP and SRT member Jane Nash, said: “On this last deployment, we were based in Labutta, where ‘Three Mile Camp’ is home to more than 5,000 survivors of the cyclone. Each day, we travelled out to the remote villages of the Irrawaddy Delta to deliver the much-needed ShelterBoxes.” ShelterBox sent more than 2,000 boxes of aid to Myanmar following the cyclone, providing shelter for more than 25,000 people. ShelterBox also worked with the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) to provide a number of fishing nets.
Shelterbox is often the first aid agency to get to a disaster, often due to Rotarian contacts in or near the disaster zone. Read about the latest Shelterbox news HERE
Rotarian Tom Henderson, founder and CEO of the relief charity organization ShelterBox, appeared on the international news channel CNN on 5 September for being selected as a hero. More than 3,000 people worldwide were nominated in response to CNN's call for stories of ordinary people who do extraordinary work.
The report highlighted the incredible achievements of Henderson and ShelterBox.
"I'm delighted that ShelterBox was selected to appear on this year's CNN Heroes," says Henderson, member of the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, Cornwall, England. "I would like to thank all of our loyal supporters and volunteers who have helped us grow to become one of the most effective aid agencies in the world.
Watch CNN's video on Henderson
The Rotary Club of Southgate supports ShelterBox and is collecting for its 16th ShelterBox, each one costing £490. If you would like to make an online donation please download a Gift Aid form HERE
Rotary Club of Southgate
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