water and sanitation

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

At today’s EU summit, European leaders collectively pledged to raise their financial contribution to help respond to the Ebola crisis, bringing Europe’s total commitment to €1 billion.

After ceasefire talks collapsed and violence erupted yet again, Oxfam today called on all states to immediately suspend transfers of arms or ammunition to Israel and any Palestinian armed group.