humanitarian aid

Oxfam Japan is appealing for public donations for two partner organizations, one that is assisting mothers and babies and the other providing information to non-Japanese speakers living in Japan.

The monsoon floods that began in Pakistan in July 2010 caused a colossal disaster, affecting between 18 - 20 million people.

The crisis in Pakistan is far from over and could get worse, international aid agency Oxfam warned today, six months after the nation’s devastating floods.

International agency Oxfam today urged donors to contribute generously to the aid efforts in Sri Lanka. The UN Flash Appeal, to be officially launched later today, will support the Government’s response to the massive floods that have affected the eastern and central parts of the country.

Three months after floods devastated Pakistan, cases of disease are increasing and in the worst-hit region, the southern province of Sindh, large areas remain underwater. At the same time, funds for the UN flood appeal are drying up and threatening the aid and reconstruction effort.

International aid agency Oxfam today starts its initial assistance in two worst-affected districts in Ha Tinh province, central Vietnam where torrential rain has brought two consecutive severe floods to one of the poorest and most disaster-prone parts of the country.

The international community urgently needs to inject more funds and effort to stem a spiraling crisis in flood-hit Pakistan. A new United Nations appeal for funds will be issued on Friday.

International development organizations Oxfam, Plan, Eurodad and Concern Worldwide called today on EU leaders, meeting tomorrow for the first time to examine Europe’s role as a global power, to shift gear in their response to Pakistan.

Oxfam today warned of a public health catastrophe in flood-hit Pakistan. While funding had stalled in recent weeks, the number of cases of reported disease, numbers of people displaced, and numbers of people affected by the floods continue to rise each day.

The IMF will issue a $450 million loan to Pakistan which risks plunging Pakistan into debt that it can ill-afford. Oxfam is calling for the cancellation of all multilateral and bilateral loans to Pakistan, and for debt relief to be given on emergency assistance from the IMF.