Haiti: Oxfam helping more than a million people

One year after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, international agency 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 Oxfam’s work in Haiti has been one of the agency’s largest programs in recent years. Across the globe Oxfam raised US$98 million and has spent US$68 million so far.

Oxfam has provided clean drinking water and sanitation facilities for 400,000 people in and around the capital. Each month this equates to 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 in the last 12 months.

Nearly 42,000 families have been assisted with food and helped to earn a living. This includes cash grants of between US$125–250 to re-establish small businesses for over 23,000 families.

To help stimulate the local market and provide food, Oxfam has provided 10,000 families with “food kits” made up of locally-sourced food. The agency has also distributed 135 metric tonnes of seeds and 7,000 farm tools to rural areas.

Oxfam has helped 94,000 people with emergency shelter, mosquito nets and essential household items.

Over the next two years Oxfam will spend the remaining US$30 million helping earthquake survivors to recover and reconstruct their lives and livelihoods.

ENDS

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