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Oxfam Teams in Haiti Delivering Aid
January 15, 2010Oxfam staff in Haiti is providing shovels and picks for local workers to clear rubble to search for trapped victims in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The international aid agency is also working to provide water by setting up water tanks in the city. Oxfam is flying water, sanitation, health, and shelter equipment to Santo Domingo to be carried overland to the quake zone. The agency also has stocks of goods and equipment in Panama on stand-by. An additional 17 Oxfam humanitarian response specialists arrived in Haiti today. "Our focus is clean water," said Michael Delaney, director of humanitarian response at Oxfam America. "People can go ten days without food, but we can only go three days without water. Many of the water systems are broken down because of this tragedy." Oxfam has had brief and erratic communications with members of its team in Haiti. Many have had their houses destroyed and are now having to sleep in the street. Some have lost family members. One Oxfam staff member was killed in the earthquake. Essential communications with the team are marginally improving, and Oxfam has more communication equipment arriving today. A horrific picture of need, and the vast obstacles to getting aid to people in need, is emerging. Full release.