News & Media

Oxfam assisting in clean up and rebuild after Hurricane Irma

September 9, 2017

Hurricane Irma caused widespread damage overnight. Oxfam teams will immediately assess the needs of the most vulnerable people in the heaviest-hit areas, mainly in the north of both countries.

Overnight, Oxfam’s Tania Escamilla – who weathered the storm in Haiti’s second city, Cap Haitien – said, “We believe the worst of the hurricane has passed, and people here hope to have fortunately escaped the worst.”

Thousands of houses have been damaged in the Dominican Republic and people displaced. In Haiti, Oxfam teams reported heavy rain and flooding in Ouanaminthe district and in Fort Liberte city at the Dominican Republic border, and a broken bridge at the Massacre River linking the two countries.

“Our main concern remains how much damage Irma’s rains and flooding caused to sanitation and water infrastructure,” Escamilla said. “We’ve heard that flooding up to a metre high in poor neighborhoods here in Haiti.”

“Many people didn’t evacuate their homes here, so there is still a risk from the rain. We are seeing a lot of trash and waste out in the flooded streets in Cap Haitien which is exactly the type of condition that heightens the risk of cholera and other diseases.”

Oxfam teams in Cap Haitien, Ouanaminthe and Gonaive, in the northern part of the country, have the necessary stock for cholera prevention.

Irma is moving north and will severely impact Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Oxfam is continuing to monitor the progress of Hurricane Jose following behind, which threatens more damage including to islands already wrecked by Irma. A third hurricane – Katia – is forming to threaten Veracruz in Mexico. Oxfam is prepared to assess and respond with essential supplies.

Latin America and the Caribbean are highly vulnerable to multiple recurrent hazards, aggravated by climate change, and where people are more vulnerable because of poverty and inequality.

Oxfam is on the ground preparing to respond. Donations to Oxfam’s Hurricane Irma appeal can be made online at oxfam.org.nz/irma or by calling 0800 600 700.

Hurricane Irma: ferocious storm wreaks havoc across Caribbean

September 8, 2017

The strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic has caused widespread damage in the already vulnerable islands of the Caribbean, with as many as three million people expected to be affected by the disaster in Haiti alone.

Oxfam staff on the ground in Haiti have reported damage to water and sanitation facilities across the country, increasing the risk of the spread of diseases like cholera.

The Haitian government has prepared 793 temporary shelters across seven departments and, together with Oxfam and other agencies, is trying to move as many people as possible away from the coast.

Oxfam’s team is assisting with the evacuation in Cap Haitien – Haiti’s second largest city, with a population of 280,000 – as people in coastal areas flee inland to schools and public buildings in preparation for the worst of Hurricane Irma today and tomorrow.

Oxfam spokesperson Tania Escamilla said although the mood was calm, the potential for destruction was concerning with so many people still recovering from last year’s Hurricane Matthew.

“I get the sense that people here are used to hurricanes and no one seems frantically scared, but I’ve heard from many that some areas of the country haven’t even fully recovered from Hurricane Matthew last year – and now they’re facing this,” Escamilla said.

“We fear that half-a-million people could be affected even in the best-case scenario – or as many as 3 million in the worst”.

The Oxfam team in Cap Haitien is already preparing to mount emergency repairs to water and sanitation facilities, under the DINEPA division of the Ministry of Public Works. “My engineering and humanitarian colleagues tell me that although cholera cases are considered low and ‘under control’, the disease remains their biggest concern should the storm wreck infrastructure,” she said.

Escamilla said Cap Haitien has a combination of well-established houses with slums in some areas including in the coast. “The damage that could likely happen from the winds and storm surge would be devastating for a large part of this city and surrounding towns.”

“While many are moving, there are quite a few people however who have decided not to evacuate but to stay put instead, fearing to lose their belongings and home,” she said last night.

Oxfam New Zealand humanitarian manager Clive Phillips said Haiti’s geography and environment – and poverty – made people extremely vulnerable to further devastation from flooding and landslides. “This is a region that is very susceptible to disasters like this, but the scale of Irma cannot be understated. Alongside the high levels of poverty in the country, the potential for catastrophe in this already vulnerable region is high.

“Oxfam will be keeping a close eye on the situation and we are ready to respond with emergency aid immediately after the storm passes.”

In Haiti, Oxfam has moved emergency aid into five locations across the country, three of which are in northern areas that will be the most exposed to the hurricane’s impact. Already four teams, made up of five or more specialists in emergencies, have been mobilised in Cap-Haitien, Ouanaminthe, Anse-Rouge and Gonaives. Oxfam also has nine cholera response teams now prepared to deploy.

Oxfam teams in Dominican Republic and Cuba are also preparing to respond. Oxfam has worked in the Caribbean region for over 30 years and has expert teams in providing safe water and carrying out sanitation and hygiene work for those people most vulnerable after an emergency strikes.

Donations to Oxfam’s Hurricane Irma appeal can be made online at oxfam.org.nz/irma or by calling 0800 600 700.

Oxfam responds to urgent needs of people fleeing Myanmar conflict to Bangladesh

September 8, 2017

Oxfam is deeply concerned about the plight of more than 160,000 civilians who have crossed the border into Bangladesh, and countless others caught up in the conflict in Rakhine State, Myanmar resulting in a large-scale humanitarian crisis.

Lan Mercado, Oxfam in Asia Regional Director, said:

“Every day, thousands of people are taking the dangerous journey across the border, and due to access restrictions in northern Rakhine, it is unknown how many more are missing or trapped. Women, children, older people and persons with disabilities are among those taking shelter in the two South-Eastern districts of Cox’s Bazaar and the Bandarban.

They are facing extreme difficulties with many living without protection and under open skies. They have little or no access to clean drinking water, food supplies, sanitation facilities, and other basic needs.

A significant number were wounded while crossing the border, are physically and emotionally traumatized, and are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance.”

In Myanmar, humanitarian operations in Rakhine State have been severely disrupted through administrative restrictions, security constraints, and heightened tensions. While ongoing humanitarian operations for displaced people in Central Rakhine are now resuming, humanitarian access for people affected by conflict in northern Rakhine is severely restricted.

In Bangladesh, Oxfam has started to respond to the immediate needs of the people fleeing conflict by working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). We are providing containers for clean drinking water, portable toilets and sanitation facilities, plastic sheets, and other essential Non-Food Items (NFIs).

“Oxfam calls on all authorities to guarantee humanitarian access to all civilians and ensure their protection from ongoing conflict. There is an urgent need to scale up humanitarian assistance for the people. We recognize the efforts of the Bangladesh government in providing access for the people fleeing the conflict in Myanmar and responding to the urgent humanitarians needs. We urge the Bangladesh government to extend free and unimpeded access to all humanitarian agencies willing and able to deliver essential life-saving assistance to Cox’ Bazaar and Bandarban districts,” said Mercado.

In Myanmar, Oxfam is ready to provide life-saving relief to people, and we call on the authorities to guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian workers and for an immediate cessation of violence and conflict. Oxfam also underlines that special attention must be paid to the needs of women and girls. The protection, privacy, health, and hygiene needs of women, girls and nursing mothers must be met and measures must be taken to prevent any form of sexual or gender based violence.

Oxfam ready to respond to Hurricane Irma, tropical storm Jose under watch

September 7, 2017

Oxfam and its partner organisations in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba are preparing to respond to probable damage from the impact of Hurricane Irma, to help people likely to be hardest hit by the massive storm.

The Category 5 hurricane has just made landfall in the Caribbean with winds up to 185 miles per hour, passing over Barbuda and moving towards the north into Hispaniola Island on Thursday. Oxfam teams are also closely monitoring tropical storm Jose which is developing in the southern Caribbean.

In northern Haiti, Oxfam has a team in place in Cap Haitien that is primed to reach the most affected areas immediately after Irma hits. They will determine Oxfam’s initial humanitarian response.

Oxfam country teams in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba have activated their contingency plans and are coordinating likely response efforts with partner organisations and government agencies there.

Oxfam has worked in the Caribbean region for over 30 years and has expert teams in providing safe water and carrying out sanitation and hygiene work for those people most vulnerable after an emergency strikes. Oxfam responded to last year’s Hurricane Matthew in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba.

Donations to support Oxfam’s emergency responses around the world can be made online at oxfam.org.nz/drf or by calling 0800 600 700.

43 million people affected by South Asia floods: Oxfam responds

August 31, 2017

The UN is reporting that at least 900 people have been killed by ongoing monsoonal flooding and landslides in India, Bangladesh and Nepal and it is now estimated 43 million people have been affected across the region.

While some level of flooding occurs annually in the monsoon season, Oxfam staff in Bangladesh are reporting that two-thirds of the country is under water and in some areas the flooding is the worst since 1988.

In Nepal, one region received a month’s worth of rain in just two days and the flooding it caused later spread downstream into India and Bangladesh, worsening the situation there.

Oxfam New Zealand’s Humanitarian Manager Clive Phillips said the size of the disaster was devastating.

“Especially looking at this from a New Zealand perspective, the number of people killed and affected by the ongoing flooding is hard to comprehend,” Phillips said.

“Almost ten times New Zealand’s entire population has been affected by this disaster across South Asia.

“More support is needed to help organisations like Oxfam assist the millions of people in need across India, Bangladesh and Nepal.”

Oxfam is providing over 186,000 flood-hit people with clean drinking water, food supplies, emergency shelter, hygiene kits, and other essentials. As the crisis continues, we will work to support more people and help them recover.

Donations to support Oxfam’s emergency responses around the world can be made at oxfam.org.nz/drf or by calling 0800 600 700.

Rural livelihoods project changes lives in Vanuatu

August 24, 2017

One of our rural livelihoods project in Vanuatu, that began in January 2013, was completed in February this year. It was thanks to your continued support that we were able to carry out a project of this length. Long-term projects mean long-term solutions, so thank you for sticking with us and helping us create real change. We hope you enjoy hearing the stories about what you’ve helped us achieve!

From drinking and smoking on his family’s land to farming it and making a living, Frank’s life has completely turned around after taking up an opportunity to study agriculture and carpentry through a Rural Training Centre (RTC) in Vanuatu.

He was forced to drop out of school when his parents could no longer afford the fees, so this training program, tailored for people in his situation, was his only option for further education.

Frank is one of many young people in Vanuatu who have benefitted from the courses that RTCs offer. And it’s thanks to your support!

“The trainings we received were great! I learned about different root crops, cultivation methods, and proper land management techniques. The trainings allowed me to think seriously about making my life better by starting a business.”

Three-quarters of Vanuatu’s population live in remote, rural communities that often lack the essential services found in the cities – like schools, water supplies, and sanitation facilities.

Young people living in these rural areas, like Frank, can miss out on many opportunities and struggle to gain a full education, find a job and support themselves and their families.

The problems and the project

One of the best ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty is to be empowered with the skills and knowledge needed to make a reliable income. That way people can afford the things they need to get by – all on their own terms. In January 2013, Oxfam kicked off a project with a local organisation, the Vanuatu Rural Development and Training Centre Association (VRDTCA), to help them support some RTCs across Vanuatu so more young people can receive training like Frank. The RTCs provide courses on everything from farming, to building, to tourism, so young people can learn skills that will help them get a job or start a business.

There were issues, however, with some of the infrastructure and facilities at the centres that were interrupting training courses and discouraging students to attend.

The buildings at many of the centres weren’t built in a way that could withstand the severe weather that Vanuatu is prone to. During events like cyclones, the buildings either got badly damaged or totally wiped out, which put teachers and students at risk and cancelled training sessions.

The water and sanitation facilities at many of the RTCs were also inadequate and discouraged students – many of whom live at the centres – from attending. Girls, in particular, didn’t attend training during menstruation as they had no way to properly keep themselves clean.

What you, Oxfam, and our local partners achieved

We supported the construction and rehabilitation of four training centres in Pektel, Torgil, Lorakau and Nakiliaena, and we ensured that those we worked on were strong enough to withstand severe weather events like cyclones. This attracts high quality trainers and more students, and means classes are less likely to be disrupted by damage to the buildings. It also means these RTCs can offer safe shelter to surrounding communities during dangerous weather events. (Special thank you to one of our major donors, who fully funded the rehabilitation of the fourth RTC after it was badly damaged by Tropical Cyclone Pam in March 2015.)

We supported the improvement of water and sanitation services to improve the students and the surrounding communities’ access to functional, hygienic facilities like toilets, showers and tap stands.

We conducted health and sanitation training for students and the wider community to improve overall health and lower illness rates. The training focused on things like good hand washing, household sanitation, and waste management. At the Torgil RTC, staff and students were very pleased when only two students got sick during an outbreak of diarrhoea – well below numbers in other communities.

“Students and community members are now equipped with the skills and knowledge to incorporate appropriate hygiene in their day-to-day activities… One of the new daily tasks every morning for the students is to clean up their bathroom and shower blocks.” – Willie Ben, who manages the RTC in Torgil.

We facilitated disaster risk reduction training which helped locals understand the safest things they can do before, during and after a severe weather event, and encouraged them to use the training centres as a form of refuge when needed. In many villages, they’re the only building capable of withstanding extreme weather.

All of this work was well accepted and locals willingly participated in all areas of it, which indicates that it aligned with the locals’ needs and priorities.

The spanners in the works

It wouldn’t be a development project if it all went to plan! Our three-year project turned into a four-year project due to a couple of curveballs.

Tropical Cyclone Pam put the project on hold for a few months when it tore through Vanuatu during March 2015, with a devastating impact. Locals who feared that their homes wouldn’t be strong enough to protect them from the storm sheltered in the new, strengthened RTC buildings as the cyclone hit. The disaster risk training was still fresh in the minds of many, which motivated more people to respond efficiently. All of the new buildings Oxfam had helped to build withstood the storm and the locals inside stayed perfectly safe, however, all of the older RTC buildings in those areas were either badly damaged or completely destroyed.

Well-timed exchange rates meant there was money left over at the end of our project, so we were able to do even more than originally planned! At the Pektel training centre, the male students had a newly built dorm with bunk beds, whereas the female students still slept on the floor of a small timber and leaf shack – so it was decided that a female dorm would be constructed with the remaining money.

By the end of the project, this is what we’d achieved at each Training Centre.

Pektel RTC:

Torgil RTC:

Lorakau RTC:

Nakiliaena RTC:

There has since been an increase in enrolments at the Pektel and Torgil RTCs, and more of the students are female than in previous years. A change of management has disrupted courses at the Lorakau RTC, but it is expected to be back on track sometime in the second half of 2017. It’s too early to tell the effects on enrolment that the improvements to the Nakiliaena RTC have made.

“Many young people in my village don’t have much to look forward to and I am glad that I have these businesses to focus on because of that I have high hopes for the future.” – Elvis Nimahunu, who in horticulture and poultry farming training at the RTC in Napil.

Download our booklet of stories of those who have been empowered by rural training opportunities.

This project was 80% funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism (MFAT).