This initial grant is being given to Baptist World Aid (BWAid), which currently has an emergency team in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
It comes after a remarkable response from UK Baptists to the disaster in the last week, with around £14,000 donated by churches and individuals.
BMS’ David McLellan says, “Thank you to those who’ve already given through our Relief Appeal following the earthquake in Haiti.
“You can be assured that your gift will be well-used by BWAid as it works alongside local and international groups to help those in greatest need.
“Please continue to pray for this situation – both for the survivors and those trying to bring aid in difficult circumstances.”
BWAid, which is the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, is co-ordinating a response on behalf of Baptists around the world. It has arranged two search and rescue teams and is working closely with local Baptist groups on the island.
The first of its Rescue24 team arrived in Haiti last weekend to work at a local clinic in Port-au-Prince. It’s a group comprising both American and Hungarian Baptists.
“The situation is terrible; I have never seen anything like this,” said Bela Szilagyi, one of the team leaders there and head of Hungarian Baptist Aid, who has been working in major disaster zones for more than ten years.
Szilagyi said the came across what he described as “immense chaos, confusion, and the terrible smell of dead bodies.”
The earthquake in Haiti on 12 January measured 7.0 on the Richter Scale and has been followed by a series of large aftershocks.
Haitian officials say the number who have died as a result of the quake is likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000, and that 75,000 bodies had already been buried in mass graves.
But UN officials say it is likely the actual number of people who have died will never be established.
Three million people are affected, with an estimated 1.5 million Haitians made homeless by the disaster.