humanitarian aid

The floods that have engulfed Pakistan over the last week are a mega disaster and the world needs to mount a mega response to ensure the millions affected get the help they need, international aid agency Oxfam said today as it called for a “gear shift” in the response to the crisis.

People in the Swat Valley in Northern Pakistan hit by the catastrophic floods were only just recovering from the conflict that forced them from their homes last year, said Neva Khan, Oxfam’s Country Director in Pakistan.

Oxfam launches a rapid relief effort to reach almost 400,000 people with clean water, sanitation kits and hygiene supplies. We're trucking water and installing tanks to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases amongst the estimated 1 million people affected.

Ten leading aid agencies today called for a 'surge' in the humanitarian effort to help 10 million people at risk of acute hunger across the Sahel region of West and Central Africa.

Following the announcement by the Israeli security cabinet that it will liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza and expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects under inter

Oxfam staff in Haiti are providing shovels and picks for local civil workers to clear rubble to search for trapped victims in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Oxfam will fly up to 10 tons of water, sanitation, health and shelter equipment, to Santa Domingo at 2pm Saturday UK time.

Oxfam was pleased to hear that the new US strategy for Afghanistan will support ministries and local leaders that deliver for the Afghan people and combat corruption, and that there will be more focused assistance on agriculture, as up to 80 percent of Afghans rely on agriculture to survive.

Aid agencies in Afghanistan call donors to meet the humanitarian needs of Afghans, outlined in a recently launched $870 million funding appeal.

International agency Oxfam said today that it has had to double its aid effort in Pakistan as the number of displaced goes over 2 million, making the crisis the greatest internal displacement of people in the country’s history.

On 12 May 2008, the worst earthquake to hit China in 50 years destroyed lives and livelihoods in western China.