Digicel plans to purchase and distribute 19,000 six-man tents — valued at $3 million — to provide shelter to more than 100,000 Haitians who are living in makeshift campsites following the January 12 earthquake which devastated Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas.

The tents — which are designed for extended living in wilderness conditions — have a 10x10 foot coated polyethylene 'bathtub' floor which is separate from the tent walls and gives protection from groundwater.

Purchased from a manufacturer in the US, the tents are being shipped to Port-au-Prince from Bangladesh on 14x40 foot containers and are scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince at the end of March.

Working with its existing distribution channels and the Digicel Foundation, Digicel will distribute the 19,000 tents to Haitians who are living on the streets with no shelter.

The Bermuda-domiciled cellular provider has more than two million customers in Haiti, where it has invested $370 million.

It has donated around $20 million to earthquake relief efforts in total.

Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves said: "Not only do people need proper shelter where they can stay safe and dry, but it will also help stop the spread of disease through the makeshift camps that have been set up across the city.

"However, while the tents we are donating will go some way towards providing sheltered accommodation, we need more organisations from across the world to step in and provide this urgent support."