Press Room > Oxfam Ireland Press Release

Since Saturday last, Oxfam teams have completed assessments in six of the affected districts in Northwest Frontier Province: Batgram, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Shangla, Balakot, and Muzaffarabad (including the capital of Pakistani Kashmir). In general, damage both to housing and public buildings has been severe. Parts of the area are cut off by landslides making relief delivery especially difficult.

Three additional Oxfam field offices have been established - at Abbotabad, Besham, and Muzaffarabad - and additional logistical specialists have arrived in Islamabad to manage the flow of relief supplies from three new warehouses (at Islamabad and Allpur, Shangla).

Oxfam has identified a total of 30,000 families (300,000 people) in the above districts in especial and urgent need; and aid trucks, with tents, blankets, hygiene supplies, and jerry cans purchased locally, have already been delivered to some regions. Many more are on their way - including some flown from England. Transport is particularly difficult, and while Pakistani military helicopters are sometimes available, in some areas, donkeys are being used.

One Oxfam driver has lost his home and a close relative, but still is working hard to meet the desperate needs of his neighbours.

Many people, including children, remain trapped under the rubble of their houses and schools. Thousands of people are enduring severe weather conditions in the open air, and without food and clean water.

In the more remote areas, relief has yet to reach affected villages. In one such village, 70% of those killed were reported to be women and children.

Oxfam urgently needs funds to meet the estimated €7.3m/£5m cost of the above initial response to the earthquake. €645,000/£445,000 has been made available so far.

Oxfam Ireland is accepting donations via our shops throughout the country, online at www.oxfamireland.org or lo-call 1890 60 60 65 (Republic of Ireland) and 0845 303 0337 (Northern Ireland)

For details, or interviews with:
- Shaista Aziz, Oxfam Aid worker (based in Pakistan),
- Aditi Kapoor, Oxfam Aid worker (based in India)
- Michael O'Riordan, Oxfam Ireland's Humanitarian Programme Coordinator,
- Brian Scott, Oxfam Ireland's Executive Director,

please contact Michael O'Riordan on (01) 604 0704 or 085 7384297 (Republic of Ireland)
or Brian Scott on 028 9057 2872 or 077 03 498480 (Northern Ireland)