The Digicel Group has launched a text and voice donation line to enable its 10 million plus customers worldwide to pledge money to the massive humanitarian relief effort that is urgently needed in Haiti.

By texting the word “HELP” or calling a short code*, Digicel customers in any of its 32 markets worldwide, including Bermuda, can make a difference to the people of Haiti by contributing directly to the relief efforts following the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country last week.

Digicel will donate all of the funds it receives from the text and voice donation line to the relief efforts in Haiti. There is no restriction on the number of texts or calls a customer can send or make.

Colm Delves, Digicel Group CEO, said: “As a part of the Caribbean community, we are committed to finding every possible way to help the people of Haiti in their time of need. Digicel has already donated $5 million to the emergency relief efforts in the form of donations to NGOs in Haiti. We are now also offering our 10 million customers the opportunity to join us in supporting our neighbors in Haiti. Together, we can truly make a difference in the wake of this terrible disaster.”

l Bermuda-based Chubb Corporation has set up a $500,000 fund for disaster relief efforts to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

Chubb will contribute $125,000 to Doctors Without Borders and $125,000 to Share Our Strength for relief efforts connected to the catastrophe. In addition, the insurer will match employee contributions to qualified relief organisations on a two-for-one basis, up to $250,000. If total employee donations exceed $125,000, Chubb will continue to match those employee dollars on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

”We are deeply saddened the devastation and sufferingin Haiti,” said John Finnegan, chairman, president and CEO of The Chubb Corporation. “We hope that these contributions will help ease the pain of the victims of this disaster.”