19852: radtimes: Oxfam warns of humanitarian crisis in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: radtimes <resist@best.com>

02 Mar 2004
Oxfam warns of humanitarian crisis in Haiti

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/107824766094.htm

Oxfam International
Oxfam International
Website: http://www.oxfam.org
For immediate release: 2 March 2004

Haiti could face humanitarian crisis if secure circumstances are not
created in which humanitarian aid can be delivered, warned international
agency Oxfam today.

According to Oxfam assessments, at least 80,000 people in Port de Paix and
60,000 people in Cap Haitien have no access to clean water, many others are
short of food and the threat of disease due to poor sanitation is growing.
The agency has stressed that an early priority for the peacekeepers must be
to secure safe access for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

"Lack of access to sufficient quantities of clean water combined with the
general lack of adequate sanitation could soon lead to disastrous outbreaks
of water-related disease," said Joost Martens, Oxfam Regional Humanitarian
Lead.

"It must be a priority for the multinational interim force to create safe
circumstances in which aid can be delivered, while the Haitian parties
involved in the conflict should start negotiations to bring stability.
Currently, all assistance is stopped for security reasons but there are
huge needs on the ground that could lead to catastrophe if the aid does not
arrive soon".

Fuel shortages have led to direct increases in water prices and are
impeding the delivery of food and water, said Oxfam. Many people are going
hungry. Sanitation facilities are also inadequate, increasing the risk of
disease. Fuel shortages have inhibited waste management, leading to a build
up of rubbish.

Martens: "Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a
history of violent conflict, chronic socio-economic problems and the
majority of the population living below the poverty line. The humanitarian
situation was grave before this conflict and is only going to get worse.

Oxfam and partners are ready to start emergency operations in Haiti to
assist the people in need and reduce the suffering of those impacted by
weeks of instability and violence. We just need the space in which to do this".

Ends

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Fernanda
Castejón in Oxfam's Mexico office on +52 55 5208 2219 or Amy Barry in
Oxfam's press office on +44 (0)1865 312254 or Caroline Green in Washington
on +1 202 496 1174

.