Disaster response appeal

In September last year, four major disasters wreaked havoc on six countries in the space of six days. Two typhoons swept through Southeast Asia, an earthquake struck Indonesia and a tsunami flattened the south coast of Samoa. Oxfam was there.

Children are often the most vulnerable to natural disasters
Children are often the most vulnerable in an emergency. You can protect precious lives by making sure our disaster response team are ready to go when the next disaster strikes. 
Photo: Abir Abdullah/Oxfam

Every year families have their lives devastated by natural disasters. Right now, Oxfam is providing clean water, sanitation kits and hygiene supplies in flood devastated Pakistan.

To be there each time a disaster hits, we rely on you.

We do not know when the next disaster will strike. The only certainty is that there will be one – and it will be the world’s poorest communities who are hardest hit. We must be ready to help.

You can save a life before the next disaster strikes.

Saving lives quickly in Samoa – Sina’s story

Sina Swanky lost everything when a tsunami flattened her village. Credit Jane Ussher/Oxfam
Sina Swanky lost everything when a tsunami flattened her village. Oxfam was there and is helping her rebuild her life and job.
Photo: Jane Ussher/Oxfam

Sina Swanky witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of last year’s tsunami. Sina had lived all her life in Si’umu Village in her house just 30m from the sea. Sina was famous in the area for the success of her organic vegetable garden. She was about to start supplying a nearby resort with her produce.

On the morning of the tsunami, Sina was busy cooking lunch when she heard shouting and watched in horror as an earthquake buckled the iron roof of her house. A few minutes later, the sea began to rise. Sina ran, but not quickly enough. A huge wave caught her and washed her onto her neighbour’s house where she clung desperately to a pole. But Sina wasn’t strong enough and was again lifted up by a wave.

As the sea receded, Sina was washed up – shaking, terrified, but unharmed – onto the ground. She ran back to her house but there was nothing left except the outline of what was once her home. The tsunami had taken everything. Sina then learnt that her brother had been killed by the wave.

Within hours, Oxfam were on the ground in Samoa distributing basic relief such as plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, medicines, clothes, clean water and food to survivors. Emergency teams of water and sanitation engineers swiftly followed.

Save a life before disaster strikes

Chart: the number of natural disasters has increased alarmingly in recent years.Without immediate help, the death toll in Samoa could have been much higher. When disaster strikes, there’s no time to lose.

The number of natural disasters has increased alarmingly over the last few years and this has meant a huge strain on our resources.

With your help now, we’ll be ready to go when the next disaster strikes, with food, equipment and people on the ground that will save lives. You can protect families like Sina’s by making sure our disaster response team is fully-equipped and ready to go when the next emergency happens.

When the next disaster strikes, Oxfam will be there and you can be too.

Oxfam's work in emergencies