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Â鶹Éç World Service will be broadcasting special lifeline programming for listeners in Haiti in the French, Spanish and English languages from tomorrow, Saturday 16 January.

Special programmes about the crisis will be broadcast this weekend between 12.00 and 13.00 GMT on shortwave on 11860 kHz (25 MB) and 9410 kHz (31 MB).

The Â鶹Éç is expecting the programmes will also be available on the local FM network via the Â鶹Éç's partner station, Radio Lumiere.

The special programmes will come from the Â鶹Éç Afrique (French for Africa) and Â鶹Éç Mundo (Spanish language) networks, as well as Â鶹Éç World Service's flagship English-language news programme, Newshour.

Special programmes in Spanish and English were also broadcast today.

Â鶹Éç World Service Director, Peter Horrocks, says: "This is a humanitarian crisis on a huge scale, and good quality information is a vital but scarce commodity there.

"So far, we've had lots of information from the country by Skype and Twitter. So we'll be using the same tools to inform people that we are broadcasting these special services as well as the NGOs on the ground, websites and any other means possible."

Â鶹Éç Caribbean in English is also supporting its audiences in Haiti and the region with crucial information. The website bbccaribbean.com will be running a Twitter site dedicated to Haiti, as well as its ongoing coverage of the wider Caribbean and Haitian diaspora reaction to the tragedy. Updates will also continue in its regular Caribbean Report.

Â鶹Éç World Service Publicity