Current emergencies

When disaster strikes around the world, Oxfam and our partners move quickly to provide life-saving assistance to people in need. Then we stay for the long-term to rebuild lives and reduce the risk of future disasters.

Oxfam's rapid response emergency fund

Oxfam can only launch rapid responses to crisis and disasters around the world because we have funds ready. We still need funds to help us respond straight away to emergencies as they happen, and to continue our current work in disasters worldwide.

Haiti earthquake response

Providing cash for work in Haiti. Ivan Munoz/Oxfam
Oxfam provides paid employment in camps to collect rubbish and clear debris. Photo: Ivan Munoz/Oxfam

Thanks to the overwhelming support of the public, Oxfam has enough money to fund our response to the Haiti earthquake for the next three to five years.

Six months on, Oxfam has helped 440,000 people, providing clean water, sanitation, shelter, seeds and running cash for work programmes. We plan to reach over 600,000 people.

West Africa Food Crisis

Children sharing a meal in Niger. Photo Aubrey Wade
Children sharing a meal of cooked bush leaves in Timbouloulag, Niger

Irregular rains have led to a severe lack of pasture, water and a poor harvest in West Africa. Almost 10 million people are facing a food crisis. Oxfam is distributing food and supplies to the poorest households, protecting livestock and buying weak livestock from herders at above market levels.

Samoa Tsunami

Rebuilding lives in rural Samoa
Rebuilding lives in rural Samoa.
Photo: Jane Ussher/Oxfam

Oxfam was in Samoa immediately following the tsunami in September 2009, to help distribute emergency relief materials including food, water and clothing.

Nine months on, we are working with local water authorities to make sure people have safe water and sanitation facilities. We're also helping to rebuild livelihoods in rural communities.

Crisis in Darfur and Chad

Many young children have now grown up in the camps and are reaching their fifth birthdays, not knowing another way of life. Photo Credit: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam
Many children have grown up in camps - knowing no other way of life. Photo: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam

The Darfur crisis remains one of the world's largest concentrations of human suffering. 2.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in vast, crowded camps in Darfur and across the border in Chad.

More than 4.5 million people have been affected by the conflict and depend on humanitarian assistance. Ongoing violence forces thousands more to flee every month. Yet aid workers in the region are finding it increasingly difficult and dangerous to reach the people in need.

Ongoing responses

Oxfam's work continues long after disaster strikes, including rebuilding livelihoods, conflict management and water and sanitation work.

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