haiti

The amount of money needed for UN humanitarian appeals involving extreme weather events like floods or drought is now eight times higher than 20 years ago — and donors are failing to keep up, reveals a new Oxfam brief today. For every $2 needed for UN weather-related appeals, donor countries are only providing $1.

As many as 12,000 people could die per day by the end of the year as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19, potentially more than could die from the disease, warned Oxfam in a new briefing published today. The global observed daily mortality rate for COVID-19 reached its highest recorded point in April 2020 at just over 10,000 deaths per day.

Oxfam regrets that its name has been used for profit and the inconveniences caused to people affected by a false recruitment announcement via Facebook of 20 vacancies in our offices in Haiti.

Oxfam is disappointed but understands the Haiti Government’s decision to withdraw Oxfam Great Britain’s permission to work in Haiti

 The government of Haiti announced today that it will suspend Oxfam Great Britain’s operations in the country for two months while it investigates how Oxfam GB handled the case of some staff having used sex workers during the agency’s humanitarian response in 2011.

Oxfam and its Caribbean partner organizations are helping people most affected by flooding and strong winds following Hurricane Irma, which hit housing, infrastructure and destroyed agricultural production. 

People in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are facing “the day after” Hurricane Irma, which caused widespread damage overnight. Oxfam teams will immediately asses the needs of the most vulnerable people in the heaviest-hit areas, mainly in the north of both countries. 

Many supermarket shelves in northern Haiti are now empty and many people in coastal areas are being evacuated inland to schools and public buildings in preparation for the worst of Hurricane Irma today and tomorrow. Oxfam’s Tania Escamilla is in Cap Haitien with a 27-person team that is assisting the evacuation. 

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians who survived Hurricane Matthew, which ripped through the country three months ago, will go hungry if governments, donors and aid agencies do not step up efforts to help them. Oxfam is calling for aid promises, and the full funding of the UN appeal, to be met.

The emergency response in Haiti is at a standstill following nearly 48 hours of heavy rains. Helicopters are grounded, ships moored and nearly all road access blocked. Oxfam, already responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, is now pushing for more and immediate international support.