Oxfam: Millions need life saving supplies

Oxfam Ireland Press Release
14 January 2010

An injured child is tended to at the Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ivanoh Demers, Montreal La Presse)

Oxfam has a 100 strong-team working across Haiti – including 15 emergency specialists – and will be responding with public health, water and sanitation services to prevent the spread of waterborne disease.

Cedric Perus, Oxfam's humanitarian coordinator in Port au Prince said:

"I have seen wounded people flooding into the hospitals and buildings of several stories high that are now totally flat. Several thousands have probably died in the quake, but it will it will take time to get a full picture. Bodies may stay under the rubble for a long time because it is difficult to access some sites and heavy lifting equipment is in limited supply.

“There are bodies all over the city. People have nowhere to put them so they wrap them in sheets and cardboards in the hope that the authorities will pick them. People have also piled bodies in front of the city's main hospitals.

“Oxfam’s teams have now started to assess the scale of the disaster, across the different parts of Port au Prince, as some have been more severely affected than others. The epicentre was near the slum of Carrefour, where people were living in flimsy shacks. There are reports that over 90% of its buildings are in ruins.

"Our immediate priorities will be providing safe water and shelter material for the people who have lost their homes. Many people have lost their homes and were sleeping out in the open last night. There has been no rain yet, but there was rain earlier in the week and if it comes again it will make the situation much worse for all those made homeless by this quake. It is dangerous at night. Lootings were widespread and some markets were ransacked.”

Oxfam is sending materials that include plastic sheeting and equipment for water distribution, purification and storage.

Communication has been difficult since the 7.0 on the Richter scale quake struck 10 miles southwest of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, but the situation is undoubtedly grave. Homes, office buildings, roads, schools, hospitals and hotels have collapsed. Millions of people are affected and the aid agencies need millions of pounds to get aid to all the people that need it.

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Oxfam Ireland is an independent member of Oxfam International- a group of thirteen non-governmental agencies dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world.

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