BOSTON, MA – “Hope for Haiti Now” today announced the distribution of $35 million as the first installment of funds raised through the January 22nd telethon “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.” International aid agency Oxfam America received $8 million to build systems for clean water and safe sanitation, deliver shelter and relief supplies, and work on lasting solutions for food security, housing, and land issues. Oxfam America president Raymond C. Offenheiser said:
“The ‘Hope for Haiti Now’ telethon was an outstanding example of the outpouring of support for Haiti. Since the earthquake, Oxfam has witnessed widespread devastation, but also the startling resilience of the people of Haiti who began rebuilding their lives the very next day.
“Oxfam has been supporting rescue efforts, assessing the damage and responding with public health, water, and sanitation services. We continue to work serving nearly 100,000 people in temporary camps with water distribution sites, safe sanitation supplies, and temporary shelter needs. This includes our cash-for-work program, which provides cash compensation for earthquake survivors in exchange for public service jobs in temporary camps where hundreds of thousands of people are now living.
“Haiti has a painful history of political instability and humanitarian disasters. We look forward to applying these funds to help people of Haiti determine the course of their future and not only rebuild their homes and livelihoods, but rebuild better.”
With the funds from “Hope for Haiti Now,” Oxfam America has raised more than $20.5 million for Haiti relief and recovery work. The agency is keeping the appeal open for people to donate toward longer-term plans to help Haitians recover and rebuild their lives, over approximately the next three to five years.
