Oxfam Quebec

Published purpose

12 September 2010 - Eight months after the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010 that killed an estimated 230,000 people and affected over 3 million, the humanitarian situation in Haiti remains precarious. An estimated 1.3 million people remain displaced in over 1,300 spontaneous camps in the most-affected regions. Humanitarian actors continue to work to meet basic needs, improve living conditions, and mitigate the serious health and protection risks in these environments. Humanitarian actors are also responding to the growing needs in less-affected rural areas, where over 600,000 displaced people are exhausting the meagre resources of fragile host communities. CIDA is supporting Oxfam-Québec to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services for vulnerable camp populations and surrounding communities to reduce the risk of disease and maintain or improve overall heath. Activities include: the distribution of family hygiene kits and other non-food items (e.g. jerry cans); disease surveillance; hygiene education, health promotion, and waste management training; and cash-for-work activities related to the construction and maintenance of latrines, solid waste management, and the maintenance of drainage canals.