Haiti update from Oxfam

12th January 2011

One year after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, Oxfam is helping 1.2 million people affected by both the earthquake and the recent outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the public (including via this website), Oxfam’s work in Haiti has been one of the largest programmes in recent years. Across the globe the agency raised £63m ($98m). Supporters in the UK gave approximately £18m.

Oxfam has provided clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for 400,000 people in and around the capital. Each month the agency provides 300 million litres of chlorinated water, the equivalent of 120 Olympic sized swimming pools. The agency has built 2,500 latrines and over 1,000 bathing facilities.

Nearly 42,000 families were assisted with food and helped to earn a living. This included cash grants of between £80 to £160 to re-establish small businesses to over 23,000 families. Some 1,441 plumbers, carpenters and masons were helped with tools and cash.

To help stimulate the local market and provide food, Oxfam also provided 10,000 families with ‘food kits’ made up of locally sourced food. Oxfam also distributed 135 metric tonnes of seeds and 7,000 farm tools to rural areas. And Oxfam helped 94,000 people with emergency shelter, mosquito nets and essential household items.

You can keep up to date with Oxfam’s work in Haiti at Oxfam.org.uk.