A million refugees urgently need shelter, food and water
We're still scaling up our Haiti efforts and also responding to disasters worldwide
Oxfam’s Haiti appeal fully funded
“To date, Oxfam has provided assistance to 170,000 people in Haiti and continues to scale up operations.”
Jeremy Hobbs
Executive Director, Oxfam International
Published: 24 February 2010
Agency thanks public for overwhelming generosity
International aid agency Oxfam today announced that its Humanitarian Haiti earthquake appeal was closing due to the overwhelming generosity of the public worldwide.
Oxfam has received approximately $100 million for its emergency work in Haiti, with donations received from the public, governments and institutional donors across the world. The aid agency now has enough money to fund its work in Haiti for the next 3-5 years.
Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International's Executive Director says:
“We are extremely touched by the generosity of people across the world. The Haiti earthquake was a disaster of almost unimaginable magnitude; millions lost their loved ones and their homes. Oxfam aid teams have been working around the clock to get help to the people that need it. The money we have received is making a real difference to people’s lives in Haiti and will continue to make a real difference as we help Haitians to re-build their lives.”
Although Oxfam’s appeal for Haiti is closed, the charity asked the public to remember other emergencies. The aid agency is still working with people living in the midst of conflict in places like Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is able to launch rapid responses to natural disasters because it has funds in reserve.Currently Oxfam is responding to more than 26 disasters worldwide.
Hobbs continued: “If you have raised money, Oxfam can still put it to good use. Our general emergency fund helps our emergency work around the globe. Right now, teams are helping people caught up in conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, and helping restore the livelihoods of those caught up in the east Africa drought.”
To date, Oxfam has provided assistance to 170,000 people in Haiti and continues to scale up operations, planning to reach at least 500,000 people by the end of July. The charity is providing clean water, sanitation, shelter, seeds and running cash for work programs.
Fundraising projects already in progress before the appeal closed will continue as planned, but no new initiatives will be set into motion.
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Help our humanitarian work around the world: Make a donation to your nearest Oxfam.
Read more
Haiti earthquake: What Oxfam is doing
Map of Oxfam's relief work in Haiti
Oxfam's cash-for-work program in Haiti: photo gallery
Latest blogs on our Conflict & Emergencies Blog channel
Notes to Editors
Recovery will take time in Haiti. Oxfam is running emergency water and sanitation programs in camps that people are sheltering in, as well as running cash for work programs to help people earn a living and keep the local markets going.
In time, we plan to work with local water authorities to rehabilitate long-term water and sanitation systems, do further work to restore livelihoods in the long-term, and work to ensure that Haiti is better prepared to deal with future disasters.
We have enough money to carry out work in Haiti for 3-5 years. We were able to launch a rapid response to this and other emergencies because we have funds in reserve to enable us to launch our aid effort before appeal funds arrive. We still need funds to help us respond straight away to emergencies as they happen, and to continue our work in disasters worldwide. Please consider giving to the general disaster fund of your nearest Oxfam affiliate.