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.

Horn of Africa crisis
Ekorot Eriono shows how dry and infertile the soil is in Northern Turkana. Seven years without sufficient rain has left its mark on the landscape and the people. Credit Rankin / Oxfam

Horn of Africa food crisis 2011

Large parts of Africa are suffering the worst food crisis of the 21st century.

Oxfam urgently need funds to help reach people with life-saving food and water. We are seriously concerned that large numbers of lives could soon be lost.

Oxfam New Zealand has launched an appeal to raise $500,000 to provide assistance to the 13 million people across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya who face starvation.

Your contribution will make a huge difference in saving lives.

Christchurch earthquake

Oxfam provided support through personnel in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

Oxfam had emergency water provision personnel working with Civil Defence in Christchurch. We also provided media staff to assist the Red Cross. We offered emergency equipment and supplies where necessary, but as yet, the Government did not request it. If people would like to help, the best thing to do is to make a donation to the Red Cross.

Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this tragedy.

Oxfam's disaster response fund

Oxfam can only launch a rapid response 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 26 disasters worldwide.

Pakistan floods 2010

Thousands of Pakistanis are living in camps
Millions of people desperately need help and rescue in flood-ravaged Pakistan.

Oxfam launched an emergency response for the millions of people in Pakistan who were affected by the worst floods in living memory. Almost a year later, the crisis is still not over, and conditions could still become much worse with new flooding.

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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