Oxfam Establishes New Tsunami Response and Global Emergencies Fund
13 January 2005
Oxfam is truly grateful for the overwhelming response to this disaster. Thank you! To date, Oxfam America has received more than $20 million in donations, and Oxfam International affiliates have received an additional $80 million. This critical funding will enable Oxfam to provide more than 600,000 people with clean water and sanitation facilities, temporary food and shelter, and long-term rehabilitation.
Effective January 13, 2005, Oxfam America has established the Tsunami Response and Global Emergencies Fund and has closed its Asia Earthquake Fund. The new fund will support tsunami response, as well as other areas of the affected countries and other global emergencies.
Given the unprecedented geographical spread and scale of this disaster, it will take some time to determine the full scope of needs and how Oxfam's work can help the most people. In the meantime, we are delivering aid and saving lives.
Oxfam is committed to helping people affected by the tsunami overcome poverty, not just recover from this disaster. In the interest of building long-term stability in the region, we must expand our reach beyond just the coastal areas to include those living in poverty throughout the affected areas. We also must continue to assist those confronting other emergencies in places such as Sudan, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
Oxfam America welcomes gifts to Tsunami Response and Global Emergencies Fund. The first priority for this fund will be to provide direct assistance to people in the tsunami-affected areas as needed. We will apply any additional funds for urgently-needed poverty reduction in the countries devastated by this disaster or for other critical emergencies.
This is an unprecedented moment in history, when people all over the world are united in this global relief effort. The depth and warmth of the global response demonstrates that we are all truly one people, sharing the same hopes, dreams, and needs. Together, we can help people in poverty become better prepared to respond to disasters, but we should not stop there.
There are 2 billion people living in the world on less than $2 a day. A slow, painful death from chronic malnutrition or lack of clean water also is an urgent need—a need just as important as the suffering that has grabbed the world's attention following this massive earthquake and tsunami. The overwhelming generosity and support of the world shows that we have the means to end poverty, not just in the affected countries, but throughout the world, if we continue to act together.
We invite you to join our efforts to make poverty history, including our Beacon of Light Candlelight Vigils during Martin Luther King, Jr. week. Click here for more information.
