May 27, 2004
Oxfam warns of immeasurable humanitarian disaster in Caribbean as floods death toll rises above 800
Oxfam International

International agency Oxfam has responded fast to the disastrous flooding on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

International agency Oxfam has responded fast to the disastrous flooding on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Oxfam is providing food and clean water to those affected in the Jimani region of the Dominican Republic and is preparing to scale up its response on the Haitian side of the border and other areas of the Dominican Republic.

“Our emergency teams in the Jimani region have counted at least 300 dead and we estimate around 375 people are missing. We fear that the majority of the missing are no longer alive,“ said Oxfam’s Luz Maria Abreu in the Dominican Republic. “To these horrific numbers we must also add an unknown number of Haitian immigrants whose lack of official identification means they may have not been counted in these figures”.

From Haiti, Oxfam Program Manager, Rafael Vidal, said: “the extent of the human disaster is incalculable on this side of the border. Access to the affected area is only possible by helicopter, and we haven’t been able to accurately assess the cost in human lives.” The Civil Protection agency in Haiti says there are 300 dead and 500 missing in the country, but Vidal warns the true figures will be much higher.

In the Dominican Republic, Oxfam is continuing to meet basic survival needs. Since the day after the flooding, a team from Oxfam and local partner organizations Ceajuri and Ciepo have been distributing water, bread, milk and oats to people in Jimani. Water, sewerage and electricity systems have been almost totally destroyed and there is a grave risk of disease unless clean water and sanitation is provided. Therefore, Oxfam has now begun work on a longer-term relief effort in Jimani. This will involve:

Distribution of food kits
Distribution of hygiene kits (soap, detergent, sanitary towels, nappies etc) to prevent possible epidemics
Distribution of bottled water and provision of water tanks and lorries until the water system is repaired in 2-4 weeks time
Installation of at least 150 latrines
Oxfam is also assessing needs in other regions. Around Santo Domingo, the heavily populated districts of Sabana Perdida and Villamalla, have been flooded and hundreds have been evacuated. In the northeast of the country, around Villa Arriba and Arenoso more than 2,800 households are affected. The situation is especially difficult in the towns downstream of the Yaque del Sur.

Oxfam’s Luz Maria Abreu explained: “We are assessing the situation across the region. We know that there are other areas where people are in great need. On top of the deaths, there have been huge losses of crops on banana plantations and rice paddies, which is a great threat to people’s livelihoods”. Oxfam is working in coordination with the Dominican government, the Catholic Church, the Spanish embassy and other national organizations. In the coming days Oxfam will scale up its work on the Haitian side of the border.

Contact

For more information contact Amy Barry in Oxfam’s Press Office on +44 (0)1865 312254 or +44 (0)7980 664397; abarry@oxfam.org.uk

Spokespeople are available in the UK, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in French, Spanish and English

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