The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood’s Global Ambassador Naomi Campbell had a Fashion For Relief charity fashion show and auction on 18 February, with help from White Ribbon Alliance Global Patron Sarah Brown.
They raised over £1.5 million.
Watch the show.
This year’s Fashion For Relief (TM) charity Fashion Show, which took centre stage at the official British Fashion Council’s London Fashion Week tent, is in aid of The White Ribbon Alliance as it advocates for the health needs and rights of women and girls around the world, especially supporting its partners in Haiti at this time to rebuild the healthcare system for mothers and babies.
With the Haitian Government and the UN’s recent announcement to end their emergency relief to focus on caring for those who have survived, especially the most vulnerable, funds raised at Fashion For Relief(TM) will go towards making sure mothers and babies are at the heart of the Haiti’s new health system, and to ensuring that this essential work continues in other countries where women are at risk of dying when they give birth.
In Haiti - where 37,000 pregnant women now face birth in dangerous, unsanitary conditions - White Ribbon Alliance's partner organisation IPPF is currently struggling to meet the overwhelming need for basic healthcare services.
IPPF’s clinics, which are based in the communities most affected by the earthquake, have been severely damaged. Despite this, they are operating a number of health clinics from tents, with additional mobile bus clinics from the Dominican Republic into Haiti.
Such is the huge need that they are desperately short of staff, medical supplies and diesel fuel.
In crisis situations, women and children’s health needs and physical safety are at much greater risk; we need your help to address the short term needs and the long term consequences.
As well as the IPPF, funds raised at Fashion For Relief (TM) will also be supporting the UK-based Haiti Hospital Appeal organisation.
The vision of this group is to build a new hospital for mothers and children, already this team has provided an ambulance service on rescue missions to Port-au-Prince, and have mobilized medical services in Cap Hatien for 24 hour provision of health care for casualties brought up to the North.
Their aim is to see the Harbour in Cap Hatien become a bridgehead for relief to Port-au-Prince and a supply channel for refugees who have chosen to migrate to the north.
White Ribbon Alliance Global Patron Sarah Brown, says:
“Approximately 7,000 women will give birth in the next four weeks in Haiti and with limited medical assistant following the recent disaster, many women will be forced to give birth in unsanitary conditions causing further deaths and injuries to mothers and newborns. The world has come together to help affected communities in Haiti and now everyone from all walks of life can play a part in making sure that no mother in Haiti dies giving birth. The White Ribbon Alliance and our affiliates are delighted to have the support of Fashion For Relief (TM)".
More about how the WRA is responding to the tragedy in Haiti.