Answers to your questions
Our members and readers have been wanting to learn more about the situation in Haiti, Oxfam's work, and how they can help.
Last updated 2 February 2010
1. How is Oxfam responding to the earthquake? How many people are you reaching?
You can read an update on our aid effort in Haiti on our “What Oxfam is Doing” page.
2. Why has it taken so long for aid to reach people?
Many agencies – including Oxfam – were providing assistance within 24 hours of the earthquake. But humanitarian agencies are facing serious challenges in quickly reaching millions of affected Haitians. Earthquake damage severely impeded transport by air, land, and sea; electricity and telecommunications were badly disrupted; and in the crucial early days of the response, fuel supplies were scarce. In addition, the staff of many aid providers suffered injuries and fatalities; they lost family and friends to the quake, and many of their homes were destroyed. The UN mission in Haiti lost more than 80 people, including its director and deputy. However, a steady supply of aid is now flowing into the country.
3. Why don’t you air-drop food and water to people? How is Oxfam getting food to those in need?
Our experience shows that air drops are hugely expensive, and because the strongest and most aggressive tend to reach the aid first, there is no guarantee that air-dropped food and water will be distributed to those who are most vulnerable in an emergency - women, children, and people who are elderly, disabled, sick, or injured. Air drops should therefore be considered a method of last resort.
Oxfam is focused primarily on the water and sanitation side of the relief effort, but we have also launched a program that is helping some survivors gain safe and dignified access to food. We are employing residents of the camps to carry out community-service jobs like building latrines, clearing rubble, and assembling aid packets. Those who participate can then use their cash to buy food and whatever else they need in local markets, which are quickly reviving.
4. What about corruption? How can you be sure your local partners are not corrupt, or that money doesn’t disappear elsewhere?
Corruption is a risk in any emergency around the world, but Oxfam is committed to transparency and accountability to our donors and beneficiaries. We have strict criteria to ensure the integrity of our partner organizations, and we have strong financial systems designed to detect and avert fraud throughout our operations.
5. How dangerous is the situation on the ground for aid workers and their supplies?
There have been some sporadic violent incidents in the earthquake-affected areas, but our aid stocks are intact and our staff and partners have remained safe. What is most striking to our staff on the ground is not the dangers of the streets but the willingness of community members who have just lived through a terrible disaster to pitch in and help one another.
6. Why does Oxfam want Haiti’s debt to be canceled?
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere; it cannot be expected to rebuild after this catastrophe while saddled with nearly a billion dollars of debt. Click here for more information.
7. What will Oxfam do in Haiti once the most urgent needs are met?
For the first six months after the quake, Oxfam will focus significant attention on ensuring that survivors have access to clean water and sanitation facilities. We will not only continue water deliveries but will also provide technical support and equipment to help rehabilitate municipal systems. Making sure survivors have safe and dignified shelter is another high priority. We will continue to provide plastic sheeting for emergency shelters over the first two months of the response, aiming to reach 4,000 families (about 20,000 people); we will also provide technical advice and home-repair kits to many of those whose homes are reparable. Oxfam will work on improving access to food though our cash-for-work programs, which enable participants to buy food from local markets; we will also work on improving agricultural production in rural areas. And to ensure that Haitian voices are heard in the recovery effort, we will help strengthen the roles of local and national organizations in determining how aid money is spent.
Helping reduce the risk of future disasters is a key Oxfam priority and one that will inform all of our work . We have a strong commitment to gender equity, which will be reflected in all of our programs, as well. We are committed to stemming the spread of HIV, and we will look for opportunities to address the issue in our programs. Finally, we will look for ways that we can contribute to the protection of the most vulnerable groups of those that survived the quake.
After the first six months, we will focus more fully on programs aimed at finding lasting solutions to poverty, with a focus on improving livelihoods.
8. Are there ways I can help other than donating money?
We are not requesting volunteer assistance for earthquake recovery in Haiti, nor do we accept contributions of items like blankets and food, as it is better practice to purchase relief materials locally. But whenever a major disaster strikes, we welcome help in building awareness and supporting the recovery effort. Learn about our Humanitarian Action Team.
