Democratic Underground - OXFAM: we’re concerned that resources may bypass the poor

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/press_releases/press_release.2005-08-30.2378414916

Oxfam America Is Evaluating Needs of Partners Affected by Hurricane
30 August, 2005

For more information, contact:
Adrienne Leicester Smith, Media Director
617-728-2406

We at Oxfam America express our sorrow and sympathy for the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. While the hurricane affected hundreds of thousands of people, those living in deep poverty were hit the hardest. They include many families who are members of our grassroots partners in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Oxfam generally focuses its emergency response on regions where governments and civil society groups have little or no capacity to respond effectively, which is seldom the case in the United States. But despite all the resources available for relief after Katrina, we’re concerned that those resources may bypass many people caught in generational cycles of poverty and discrimination. Those living in poverty may also lack the resources for long-term recovery of their assets and livelihoods.

We are now assessing the situation to determine where our help is needed most. Coastal flooding may have caused severe damage to farmers’ fields and estuarine fisheries, for example, jeopardizing the livelihoods of the fishing and farming communities with which our partners work.

Please return to this site for updated information about our response, including the possibility of a fund-raising appeal, once the scope of the needs becomes apparent.

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