Oxfam evacuates aid workers from Chad capital

Oxfam has evacuated its international staff from its N’djamena office, following the latest upsurge in fighting in the capital.

“We had no choice, but to evacuate our staff from N’djamena were the situation has become extremely insecure. Some of the evacuated staff will work from Dakar to support teams continuing to provide life saving humanitarian relief to refugees and internally displaced people in the east of the country”, says Raphael Sindaye, acting regional director for West Africa.

Oxfam still has its field teams in eastern Chad who continue to supply aid to more than 100,000 people.

The security situation remains very tense and uncertain. “The movements of our staff have been limited, but we are continuing to deliver our programs in Goz Beida and Goz Amir in Eastern Chad,” adds Sindaye.

Oxfam teams are closely monitoring the situation. “We are concerned that if the fighting in N’djamena drags on it could increase insecurity in eastern Chad and hamper the aid effort. N’djamena is an essential supply route for humanitarian goods,” adds Sindaye.

There are nearly half a million people displaced in Eastern Chad. The majority of them are refugees from the Darfur conflict. Oxfam aid effort has been reaching more than 100,000 people with clean water, safe sanitation, food and public health promotion.

Listen to an interview with Ana Damasio, Oxfam Media Officer, one of our staff members who was evacuated today to Gabon.