MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Australian Government AusAID and Oxfam Community Aid Abroad
Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and the Australian Government have joined forces to deliver much needed emergency water and sanitation equipment to help thousands of Sudanese refugees living in extreme conditions in eastern Chad. The Australian Government provided the funds for these life saving supplies.
The DC8 plane will leave London Manston airport in Kent later today. It will carry 40 tonnes of relief goods that will be used to construct emergency water and sanitation facilities.
'These are people who have lost everything and are struggling to survive in a barren desert region where temperatures can hit 50 degrees,' says Andrew Hewett, Executive Director, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad.
'Humanitarian aid, while not the only solution to this crisis, is the key to preventing tens of thousands of deaths in the coming months.'
The head of the Australian Government's humanitarian programs in AusAID, Alan March, said that Australia's response to what has been described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today, underscores Australia's commitment to help the world's most vulnerable people.
'Australia responded quickly to the crisis, committing over $8 million to help meet the urgent health, shelter, food, water and sanitation needs of Sudanese refugees and internally displaced people,' Mr March said.
'The start of the rainy season is worsening an already desperate situation, making it harder to reach those in most need and increase the risk of diseases like malaria.'
The equipment on the plane - pipes, pumps, tanks, water testing and treatment kits, latrine parts, hygiene materials and mosquito nets - will arrive in Ndjamena, Chad's capital, and make a difficult 1,000 km journey on poor roads to Abeche and then the camps along Chad's eastern border with Sudan.
The risk of a major disease outbreak is increasing with the onset of the rainy season as human waste washes into water sources. This makes the need for proper sanitation urgent.
'The rains have started in the region and we are racing against time to get to remote communities where people need urgent help,' says Andrew Hewett. 'We urge Australians to help save more lives by supporting our Sudan Crisis Appeal.'
There are about 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad. They are part of a vast crisis sparked by the conflict in Darfur in western Sudan that is now affecting more than two million people.
To donate to Oxfam's SUDAN CRISIS APPEAL call 1800 034 034
or visit www.oxfam.org.au to make an online donation.
Media inquiries:
AusAID: Jo Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 or 0412 804 489
Oxfam Community Aid Abroad: Marlene McIntyre 03 9289 9415 or 0407 515 559
For more information on Australia's aid program, please visit www.ausaid.gov.au