British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday urged the British public to continue to give generously to the Haiti earthquake appeal after meeting staff coordinating fundraising efforts.

Speaking on a visit to the Disasters Emergency Committee's operations in north London, Brown thanked the British people for the 2 million pounds (US$3.2 million) already donated and gave his assurance that any money pledged would get through to those who need it most.

The visit came following Brown's pledge to match 10 million dollars of aid that has been offered by the United Nations to Haiti following the devastating earthquake.

The prime minister said "the first thing is when you see suffering and the British people see suffering they want to help. There has been an extraordinary response from the British public already. What we have got to do is ensure that the aid can get through."

The compassion of the British people and the world has to be matched by the coordination, Brown said.

He added that most of the delays in getting aid through to the Haitian people were being caused by the "breakdown right at the heart of the public institutions" in the country and the destruction of the UN compound in the capital Port au Prince.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said that the fund already donated in Britain had been submitted online before the first radio and television appeals were broadcast on Friday.

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley said: "Our message to the public is: thank you for your efforts so far but it is vitally important that people continue to donate to increase the amount of aid that can be delivered to help the millions of people affected by this terrible earthquake."

Brown has also confirmed that a team of British firefighters had now arrived in Port-au-Prince to help search and rescue efforts.

He said: "It is a tragedy beyond imagination and there is a deep sense of loss...We send our message of sympathy and support to the people of Haiti at this most difficult of times.

"Where men, women and children are suffering under the heaviest of burdens, that place must, for that moment, become the center of our world's attention, the world's compassion and the world's humanitarian help."

He added that ministers will continue to monitor the situation in Haiti to assess whether more aid will be needed.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced the British aid contribution on Thursday, saying that "There is an overwhelming requirement for food, water, sanitation, shelter and medicine among the people who have been made homeless. That is why the Department for International Development is providing money tohelp kickstart humanitarian relief in Haiti."

The earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, hit the country on Tuesday toppling hundreds of buildings. Its epicenter was within 10 miles of the center of Port-au-Prince, which is home to about one million people.

A team of British firefighters and search and rescue specialists arrived in the country Thursday, accompanied by search dogs and heavy rescue equipment.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)