water and sanitation

One month on since the first earthquake hit Nepal, Oxfam is working with mountain guides and porters to deliver life saving aid to the most remote communities before the imminent monsoon hits the country. Mountain guides and porters are assisting Oxfam with its relief delivery in the Gorkha district, one of the worst hit by the earthquake.

The number of refugees arriving in Tanzania has risen exponentially over the past week as people pour over Burundi’s borders, with new arrivals citing fear of violence and intimidation as primary reasons for leaving.

Tens of thousands of people have seen their homes flattened or damaged to such an extent that it is not safe for them to return.

Three trucks carrying tarpaulins, foam sheets, water containers, chlorine tablets and solar lamps have left Gorkhpur and another two have departed Kolkata with water filters and latrine construction materials.

A bottleneck of people and supplies at Nepal’s Kathmandu airport combined with nationwide fuel shortages, blocked roads and difficult terrain is hampering the efforts of aid agencies and emergency services to reach earthquake survivors.

Oxfam's 10 people team in Vanuatu are reporting damage to major infraestructure like the hospital, the morgue and schools as the picture of complete devastation in Vanuatu now begins to unfold.

A toilet, conveniently situated near the Student Union Bar at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), is proving pee can generate electricity. The prototype urinal is the result of a partnership between researchers at UWE Bristol and Oxfam. It is hoped the pee-power technology will light cubicles in refugee camps, which are often dark and dangerous places particularly for women. 

A year after the fighting started in South Sudan the country remains in a severe food crisis with up to 2.5m people estimated to be at risk of hunger if the conflict continues, Oxfam warned today.

A clear and public plan of action from the UN and governments is needed to respond to the changing nature of the outbreak. This will enable the humanitarian community to effectively marshall its resources to overcome Ebola