Oxfam Flies Out Emergency Aid to Help People of Iraq
17 April 2003
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April 17 - International aid agency Oxfam is due to fly out emergency equipment today to Kuwait as part of the humanitarian response to the Iraq conflict.
The plane, provided by the United Nations, will leave from London Manston Airport before 1pm, carrying 17 tons of vital water and sanitation equipment, as well as three four-wheel drive vehicles.
The equipment, worth $222,880 and partly funded by UNICEF, includes large capacity (70,000 liter) water tanks, pumps, pipes, Oxfam buckets, and tap stands.
Oxfam engineers have been traveling in and out of southern Iraq under tight security to assess the damage to the water and sewage system and, where possible, carry out emergency repairs.
As soon as the security situation allows, a larger team of engineers will go into Iraq to restore water supplies and sanitation systems.
Each of the tanks being shipped out can provide a day's supply of clean water to 5,000 people. They are part of Oxfam's standard water kit, which has been used in conflict zones and disaster-spots across the globe.
