haiti

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians who survived Hurricane Matthew, which ripped through the country three months ago, will go hungry if governments, donors and aid agencies do not step up efforts to help them. Oxfam is calling for aid promises, and the full funding of the UN appeal, to be met.

The emergency response in Haiti is at a standstill following nearly 48 hours of heavy rains. Helicopters are grounded, ships moored and nearly all road access blocked. Oxfam, already responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, is now pushing for more and immediate international support.

Food, shelter and clean water are needed urgently by people in southern Haiti following the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew last week. Oxfam fears that the current death toll of at least 800 will increase further. The international community must act immediately to mitigate the loss of entire harvests and to counter any possible spikes of cholera. Oxfam is sending 3 tons of water purifying supplies to Haiti.

As Oxfam teams access the most affected areas in Haiti, the destruction left by hurricane Matthew is more evident, as well as the urgent humanitarian needs of those affected.

Rich countries have paid out less than half the amount they originally pledged to help countries recover from a snapshot of three major humanitarian crises, according to Oxfam.

On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. More than 220,000 people were killed and over 300,000 injured. Thanks to the incredible outpouring of support from the public and governments around the word, Oxfam helped more than half a million survivors.

Oxfam calls for urgent action to prevent eviction of thousands from camps, as residents say they will be unable to afford to pay rent.

In a report released today, Oxfam called on the Haitian authorities, with support from the international community, to move forward on plans to start rebuilding the shattered country and enable close to one million people still living in tents and under tarpaulins to resettle or return home.

In years of responding to disasters, the destruction and logistical challenges caused by Haiti’s earthquake which struck on 12 January 2010, were among the worst Oxfam has ever encountered.