What Oxfam is doing
Oxfam and our local partners are providing Gazans with food, clean water, medical assistance, and public health services; to the extent possible, we are also repairing water and sewage systems that were damaged in the conflict.
Last updated April 8, 2009
Oxfam and local partners are working to help Gazans recover from the fierce fighting that took place in December and January, but restrictions on the flow of goods into the territory have prevented significant rebuilding. Prohibitions on the import of cement, pipes, and other construction materials, for example, have delayed repairs to Gaza's damaged water systems, leaving 35,000 people without access to running water, and many others with inadequate supplies.
Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene: Oxfam and its partners are delivering clean drinking water to 100,000 people daily while completing electrical repairs on a pumping station that will supply water to 50,000 residents. We have completed repairs to sewage systems in three communities, which will benefit 14,000 people. The challenging conditions of life in Gaza require special attention to hygiene in order to prevent outbreaks of disease; Oxfam is helping ensure that residents have the information and materials they need to stay healthy.
Medical care: After providing ambulance and emergency medical services during the fighting, our partners have expanded their work to include home-based and community health care. One partner is operating four primary health care clinics, supplemented by a mobile clinic. Another continues to run an ambulance service and is providing primary and secondary health care.
Food: As soon as the violence subsided, an Oxfam partner distributed food packets to 20,000 people. We then helped provide fresh produce and other foods to more than 10,000 people—much of it grown by Gazan farmers whose fields escaped serious damage from the war. We have also supported cooperatives to provide cheese, couscous, honey, and other prepared foods to those in need. Oxfam partners will soon begin distributing dry food obtained through the World Food Program, like lentils, chickpeas, flour, and biscuits. In its food distributions, Oxfam aims to reach the most vulnerable groups, like women-headed households and families badly affected by injuries and disabilities.
Human rights: An Oxfam partner has documented information about the conduct of the recent war and is bringing violations of human rights to the attention of the public and policy makers.
Oxfam's ongoing work in Israel and the Palestinian territories
In the occupied Palestinian territories, Oxfam and our partner organizations help poor people establish small businesses, gain access to markets, and improve labor conditions. We provide vocational training and legal aid, as well as basic health services focusing on care for women and children. We monitor human rights violations and support women’s and refugees' rights in particular. We help provide water, rooftop storage tanks and cisterns, and public health interventions to thousands of Palestinians, and we support local partners in implementing sustainable rural development and food security projects.
In Israel, Oxfam and its partners work to secure equal rights for disadvantaged Israeli citizens, support women's groups, and help poor Israeli women support their families by setting up small businesses. An Oxfam partner is pioneering the sale of free-trade products in Israel and the marketing of Palestinian olive oil through Israeli outlets. We also support Israeli organizations fostering a dialogue on peace and defending human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
