Oxfam’s work in an emergency – Saving and protecting lives

The first responders to a crisis or catastrophic event are the very people directly affected and who have the most to lose.  Before the outside world can mobilize to help, action is being taken by women and men, girls and boys act to protect themselves and their loved ones from the danger.  

But when the scale of the crisis outstrips a community’s ability to cope, assistance from the global community is essential to saving lives.  Around the world and around the clock, Oxfam is present to help those most vulnerable survive catastrophic events.

When disaster strikes, time is of essence.
Oxfam is a recognized leader in disaster response. We are renowned for our ability to quickly and efficiently provide clean water and sanitation facilities.  We also ensure those affected have access to food, basic necessities, shelter and education about health and hygiene.

Oxfam places special emphases on ensuring women’s needs are taken into account when setting up these essential services. Our public health teams (often consisting of displaced people who’ve received special training) also work alongside our water engineers to ensure these facilities are used properly to prevent the spread of disease.

You can help with a donation to Oxfam Canada’s Emergency Response Fund

Reducing the impact of disasters and conflict
In regions prone to regular natural hazards, measures can be taken to prevent or reduce loss of life and property, and limit the impact of future disasters.

Increasingly it is people living in poor countries that are most at risk from climate-related disaster. They are less likely to have early warning systems. Their housing is often less stable and less able to withstand high winds or rising water. Their livelihoods too are precarious and easily destroyed. Poverty not only reduces people's ability to cope with a disaster, it can be a barrier to adequately rebuilding one’s life.

Oxfam’s focus is to ensure that poor communities are less at risk and better able to cope should disaster strike. We identify and assess the risks – such as floodplains or grain stores – and allocate our resources appropriately. Disaster risk reduction encompasses prevention, mitigation and preparedness work, from providing radios to building dams.

Emergencies that don’t make the headlines
Oxfam provides humanitarian aid to serious humanitarian disasters that seldom or never hit the headlines.  Our Emergency Response Fund ensures that Oxfam can quickly respond wherever and whenever the need is greatest.  Assistance shouldn’t be dependent on media coverage.

Being ready to respond – the Emergency Response Fund
Time is of the essence in an emergency and it is essential that Oxfam be ready to respond quickly and effectively to a humanitarian crisis. 

The Oxfam Canada Emergency Response Fund (ERF) enables us to provide timely, appropriate responses to emergency situations and to support reconstruction work that enables people affected by an emergency to get back on their feet and become less vulnerable to disasters in the future. ERF also provides critical funding and enables Oxfam to respond to emergencies that don’t capture the attention of the media and don’t make it to the headlines.

You can help Oxfam Canada provide assistance to people affected by disasters by donating to our Emergency Response Fund.